Weekly Check In: Robert Refsnyder

props to Pinstripe Alley for the gif

We all know the story and the drum beating I do in this weekly post, Robert Refsnyder is wasting at bats down in Triple-A while Stephen Drew continues to petition to move and re-name the Mendoza Line in Major League Baseball. I don’t need to remind you how much Refsnyder’s defense has improved or how much superior his bat is or even how the Yankees tend to over-groom their prospects sometimes forcing a negative reaction and a reversal in their development. You’ve read it, you’ve heard me say it and if you’ve watched the Yankees over the past five years or more you already know it. Instead today I will focus on the upcoming July 31^st trading deadline.

Brian Cashman, the Yankees GM, has been adamant about keeping his top prospects at most trading deadlines and has really shied away from trading any in recent seasons, a trend that is expected to continue in 2015. As possibly Refsnyder’s biggest fan and loudest drum beater I am beginning to worry when I hear Cashman, Hal Steinbrenner and others list off those top prospects that the team plans on keeping unless just a no-brainer comes along. You hear the names of Luis Severino, you also hear the names of Greg Bird and Aaron Judge but you never hear the name Refsnyder.

New York has been aggressive with Severino and Judge and seemed ready to be aggressive with Bird after an Arizona Fall League trip and MVP Award this season but an injury slowed down those plans at least temporarily but it seems like the team is almost doing anything it can to keep Refsnyder down and out of the media. Martin Prado was traded only to sign Drew. Drew starts slow and trade rumors involving the Braves top prospect Jose Peraza begin to find their way to the internet. Refsnyder hits well but it criticized for his defense, he improves on his defense and his improvements are ignored.

I’m not saying the Yankees are going to trade Refsnyder but it sure doesn’t look like he is in their long term plans right now either. Either way the only way we are going to find out is if we all stay tuned. 

Offense:

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	AAA	67	301	35	71	14	5	30	10	31	39	.271	.358	.382	.740

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Defense:

Year	Lg	Lev		G	Ch	PO	A	E	DP	Fld%	RF/G
2015	IL	AAA	2B	60	324	121	191	12	38	.963	5.20

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table