The youth movement has finally, and I mean FINALLY, begun in
New York after Brian Cashman shook up the organization and traded away a ton of
veteran talent before the August 1st trading deadline. The farm
system is now restocked and many believe that the Yankees have the top farm
system in all of Major League Baseball. If you don’t agree with that you have
to agree that they at least have a Top 3 farm system in the league but all that
gets you in the grand scheme of things is a whole lot of promise and not enough
MLB talent paying dividends if you don’t use them like the Yankees have been
known to historically do. The team did call up Gary Sanchez before Wednesday
night’s game with the New York Mets at least showing a willingness to build
from within and reward some of their own but you can’t stop there. Keep the
youth movement, and the good times, rolling.
If the Yankees want to keep giving at bats to the youth (Eat
This) instead of letting the contracts of aging and under-producing veterans
(Not That) then here are a few options for Brian Cashman and company to
consider for the remainder of the 2016 season.
Eat This: Tyler Austin
Not That: Mark Teixeira
We discussed this earlier today but I mean it. You guys came
out and said you could eat the contracts of both Alex Rodriguez and Mark
Teixeira if you sold at the trading deadline, and you did just as an FYI, so
why is Teixeira and his sub-.200 batting average still on the team? Especially
considering Austin’s performance in Triple-A both with the bat and the glove at
first base. Austin has more home runs in Triple-A than Teixeira may hit ever
again throughout his career. A slight exaggeration but an exaggeration that
needed to be done for emphasis because Austin 110% deserves to be here and
Teixeira, despite what his contract says, does not.
Eat This: Aaron Judge
Not That: Alex Rodriguez
The Yankees have #TooManyDamnOFs right now and no clear way
to fix it. Not unless you stick to your word and eat the remaining year and a
half of Alex Rodriguez’s contract and bring up some right-handed pop to rotate
in and out of the DH position. Gary Sanchez is already here to provide some
depth but Aaron Judge needs to be as well. Let him get the at bats that Aaron
Hicks was getting, and again not deserving of, and let him slide into the DH
role every now and then and really kick start this whole rebuild thing instead
of just talking about it all day.
Eat This: Ben Gamel
Not That: Aaron Hicks
Speaking of Aaron Hicks there is no reason to be here if
Judge is going to get the bulk of his playing time. His defense is pretty good
but his bat has been horrendous and his inability to perform fundamentals like
laying down a bunt should be the final straw and the straw that breaks the camel’s
back on this team.
Eat This: Pick Your Poison
Not That: Anthony Swarzak and Richard Bleier
Neither Swarzak nor Bleier have a future with the club and
neither have been especially effective either so why have them both in the
bullpen? Bring up a kid and let him get his feet wet. There are plenty to
choose from, Tyler Webb for example and Chasen Shreve as another and recently
acquired Ben Heller as a third, so pick one and call them up. Use the wash that
is the 2016 season wisely and build from within.
