The countdown to the return of Greg Bird is imminent as the
Yankees young first baseman could be activated as early as this week. While it
seems like a foregone conclusion that Bird will be making his 2018 debut soon
it is unclear how the Yankees will deal with the best problem to have, too many
good players and not enough positions to play them all at. The Yankees have not
only survived, but flourished, without Bird using the combination of Neil
Walker, Tyler Austin, Gleyber Torres, Brandon Drury and Miguel Andujar in their
infield, but it seems like when Bird is activated off the disabled list that at
least one of them will have to go. You can’t really send down Andujar or Torres
in my opinion, Drury is already biding his time at Triple-A and Austin has
earned his spot here on the roster in my opinion leaving just one man, the
former New York Mets and Milwaukee Brewers product. You know what they say
around baseball when you have these impending roster crunches, these things tend
to work themselves out, and this situation in the Bronx may have been worked
out last week due to an old friend.
Robinson Cano, former New York Yankees player and 2009 World
Series champion, was suspended by the league for a failed PED test leading
Seattle to be without their second baseman for at least 80 games, although most
of those games the Mariners would have been without him anyway due to a broken
bone in his hand. That is another rant for another day. The Mariners are said
to be scouring the trade market either for a second baseman to replace Cano
during the suspension or a center fielder to replace Dee Gordon, a former
second baseman and the Mariners current center fielder who will be filling in for
Cano at least temporarily. It has been speculated that the Mariners and the
Boston Red Sox may be willing to make a deal involving Jackie Bradley Jr.,
Eduardo Nunez or Brock Holt, but could the Yankees swoop in and steal a
prospect or two from Seattle instead?
Neil Walker seems like he will be the odd man out of the
Bronx when Greg Bird returns so you have to think the Yankees would like to get
something for Walker in return for his services rather than designating him for
assignment, right? Walker is a natural second baseman that could fill in for
Cano now at the position while he could also help the team march towards the
postseason in the second half when Cano returns. Walker to the Mariners makes a
whole lot of sense for the Yankees and for Seattle right now, so let’s make a
deal. The Yankees should send Walker to Seattle for a prospect or two, I don’t
know much about the Mariners system to name a name but presumably it would not
be a Top 10 prospect in my opinion, while the Mariners take on the remaining
part of Walker’s $4 million salary.
The Yankees clear a spot for Bird and they clear some money
to spend at the July 31st trading deadline while staying under the
luxury tax threshold. The team can also add a good prospect or two, this seems
like a win-win for New York and for Seattle. Make it happen, Cashman.