Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Does the Ruben Tejada Signing Make Rob Refsnyder & Ronald Torreyes Expendable?


The New York Yankees signed former New York Mets middle infielder Ruben Tejada to a minor league deal with a presumed invitation to the Yankees spring training camp down in Tampa this coming spring. We’ll meet the man the Yankees signed here in a few hours on the blog but before we get to that I want to share my initial response, impression and the major question that came along with the signing. I also want to explore whether such a signing by the Bronx Bombers now makes both Robert Refsnyder and Ronald Torreyes not only trade bait but expendable as well.

I’ll start slow with my initial response. My initial response to the signing was not a real major one. It’s a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. The Yankees will likely have many veterans and reclamation projects that they sign to similar deals this winter and spring so the fact that it’s Tejada is not a huge deal to me. I think it’s being made into a bigger deal than it is by most because he used to play for the Mets, and truth be told a little of it also has to do with the fact that news is slow right now around the Christmas holidays. This was merely a blip on the radar for me until I started thinking whether this was a precursor to something to come, something much bigger.

Let’s be honest, and this is coming from the biggest Rob Refsnyder fan besides his own mother, both Refsnyder and Torreyes are easily expendable. While I believe with constant and consistent at bats Refsnyder could become a line-drive hitter and an overall good hitter in the Major Leagues manager Joe Girardi has proven time and time again that this is not simply going to happen. With that said Refsnyder and Torreyes lend little to the team in terms of offense, their value is on defense at this point unfortunately and their versatility and ability to play multiple positions. Something that Tejada could also lend the Yankees in the middle infield.


Now we know the Yankees and their seemingly infatuation with having veteran players on the team, even in the midst of a rebuild on the fly, so it worries me that Tejada may get that 25th spot and a young guy who still has some trade value like Refsnyder may be out the door in a deal for a starting pitcher. Of course Refsnyder alone, or Torreyes either for that matter, cannot fetch a pitcher on their own but when thrown into a package with someone else (Brett Gardner) you may have the makings of a deal on your hands. And that worries me if I am being honest. 

2 comments:

  1. I don't advocate very often for the Yankees to trade away talented young players, but in Refsnyder's case, I hope they do. I agree with you Daniel. I think Refsnyder has the potential to be an above average hitter. And an above average hitter that can play 2b, 1b, and RF is a useful piece to any ball club. Girardi isn't going to play him. He isn't a bench player. Time to trade him and let him reach his potential.

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  2. Hay, Daniel, just because I am busy doing other things doesn't mean I am not still interested and all in on Refsy. I too want him to have a spot on this team as an everyday player.
    If they can't do that...then trade him so he can play the game every day!
    Joe Girardi is a fool and too much of an old-school baseball type manager! For that reason alone he should be replaced by someone that understands the idea of building a team with young kids and a mix of vets'...let them play and earn their place on the team, but play them or trade them!

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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)