Brendan Ryan suffered another setback in his rehab for a back injury he suffered in spring training making this technically his third injury of the young season. There is no timetable for the return of Ryan but until and unless the team announces that his season is done you have to expect that the right handed hitting shortstop will be back with the Yankees eventually this season. With Gregorio Petit in Triple-A, Didi Gregorius and Stephen Drew struggling and Jose Pirela finally off the concussion DL what will the Yankees do when Ryan needs a roster spot and returns to the Bronx? Well I have a plan….
The best option would obviously be to simply designate him
for assignment as soon as he is eligible but that does not seem like the most
realistic option unfortunately. The most realistic option truth be told is to
send Pirela down to the minor burning another minor league option and sending
another superior player down to Triple-A but I think I have a better idea. The
better idea includes designating Garrett Jones for assignment and turning
Pirela into a super utility player of sorts.
Pirela has played every outfield position in the minor
leagues and every infield position but catcher and pitcher making the
transition seemingly easy going forward. Jones is on the team to serve as the
team’s backup first baseman as well as backup right field option, two positions
that Pirela could be more than serviceable at in a smaller sample size. With
the backup options of Brian McCann, Chase Headley and Ryan to name a few at
first base along with Alex Rodriguez the positions would all be more than
covered adequately and without sacrificing any defense whatsoever.
Ryan would remain on the bench as the true backup for
Gregorius, Headley and Drew while Pirela bounced around all over the diamond.
Jones would be off the team and the Yankees would not only be younger, more
versatile and better defensively but the team would be better overall in my
eyes. Whether my plan comes to fruition or not is a conversation for another
day but if I were running the team this is what I would do. What say you?
I love the flexibility, while at the same time building to the future.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you on this one. Refsy is being groomed as a 2nd baseman and Pirela as a utility guy anyhow. To me, it makes too much sense to have it come to pass!
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