Tyler Wade And The Opening Day Shortstop

The final two spots in the starting rotation and shortstop. Those are really the only two questions that remain for the Yankees when it comes to the active roster for Opening Day. And although I'd say the question about the bottom of the rotation is far more important than shortstop, seeing as how Didi may only miss a few weeks of the regular season, I'm going to give a few thoughts on what the team should do at that position.

"I have an idea."

There have been a number of people that want to see Tyler Wade given an opportunity to see what he could do. And I totally understand that. The team is in a position where they should see what they have, not necessarily for this season but more-so for the future. And even though the team has other options at short, you can simply never have too much talent.

I mentioned on Twitter not long ago that Wade should stay in the minors to continue his development. I may be guilty of holding him back, though, as he did play all of the 2016 season in AA, and was also in Trenton for 29 games at the end of 2015. And it's not like he'd be the first player to skip
AAA on his way to becoming a good player in the show.

But while experience at higher levels in the minors is a good thing, that doesn't make up for a batting line of .249/.331/.333 at AA. It certainly doesn't instill a ton of confidence that he can keep hitting at the MLB level like he has in Spring Training.

Now it's true that Tyler has the potential to steal plenty of bases, as evidenced by the 27 he stole for Trenton last year, and the 33 he had between Trenton and Tampa in 2015. But if he's only getting on base 30% of the time, to go along with better catchers in MLB than in minor league baseball, then that potential is quite limited.

It's also true that Wade's defense is top notch. However, it's not like Ronald Torreyes is a bad defender.

And as for Torreyes, he did hit .258/.305/.374 for the Yankees last season, and looking back at Tyler's AA stats there's a decent chance their overall production both on offense and defense would be fairly even.

The final nail in the coffin for me is the 40-man roster, which doesn't have the name "Tyler Wade" on it. Sure, there are ways to clear a spot without losing much or anything at all (for example, Tyler Austin could be moved to the 60-Day DL), but it doesn't make sense to me to drop anybody to take a chance on getting a little more production out of one player for one month.

That final nail is a killer, too.

If Wade could be the team's super utility player, taking Torreyes' spot, then I'd be more inclined to agree with giving him the SS gig while Didi is out. Actually, I'd be screaming for just that in this very article. Unfortunately Tyler has very limited experience at 3B (7.2 innings), while Torreyes played there for 245 innings just last year, making Wade less than idea for that role.

The fact of the matter is Tyler Wade's stock has never been higher.

If you take into account that Wade's future as a Yankee is far from open thanks to Didi Gregorius looking like the team's shortstop for years to come (he's not eligible for free agency until 2020), having one of the best prospects in baseball in Gleyber Torres also at shortstop, and Starlin Castro's ability to slide back into his natural position of SS, it's safe to say that Tyler Wade's future in MLB is not with the Yankees.

Therefore, it makes sense to look at Tyler Wade as trade bait. So the question becomes "how do we make sure he has the most trade value?" Well, there's a better chance that he continues to hit well in AAA, making him more intriguing to other teams than if he played in MLB for a month and hit worse than he did in AA last season... which is a safe bet.

So there it is... let Ronald Torreyes take care of short for a month, or maybe even move Castro over there so that Refsnyder can play 2B for a month (remember that Girardi is likely to only need 4 starters for a while, giving the team the ability to carry an extra hitter on the bench). I'd like to see what Tyler Wade can do, but from a team standpoint it just doesn't make enough sense.

"My choice in fashion doesn't make much sense, either. But trust me on this."

Nick Ahmed? Really?

I seriously don't get it. The Yankees reportedly would consider trading for 27 year-old shortstop from the Diamondbacks, who's put up a batting line of .221/.268/.329 in 842 MLB plate appearances, rather than hand the job over to Tyler Wade, Starlin Castro (while putting Rob Refsnyder or somebody else at 2B), or any of their other in-house candidates.

You're telling me Wade couldn't hit .221/.268/.329? Refsnyder has already shown that he could hit better than that in MLB. In fact, Daniel has already talked about a number of options to replace Didi until he's healthy, which you can read here and here.

Hey, Cashman! Stop wasting time on looking for trades like this and start thinking about the starting rotation, not just for this season but for the future. Because that is the one place that concerns me, and should concern all Yankees fans.

Updating My Offseason Ideas

First that shirt, and now Boston? Really, Hanley?

Now that the Boston Red Sox have signed Hanley Ramirez, my ideas for the offseason have already been ruined. Although, and I'm being honest here, I was never completely comfortable with the idea of Ramirez in pinstripes. It just seemed like the best way to fill the position, while also strengthening a poor batting lineup.

So it's time to update my offseason ideas.

One idea that I'm going to stick with is the one saying the Yankees should re-sign David Robertson. 

If you want the full rundown as to why I think it's important to re-sign Robertson, then you can click the link above for my previous idea article. Let's just say that whether Betances fills in as the new closer or not, losing David would leave a gigantic hole in the bullpen. And the past postseason clearly showed us how important a strong bullpen can be.

I'd rather not have to rely on a trade to fill a hole on the team, but at this point the Yankees don't have much of a choice. That's because the free agent crop of shortstops is not good. Stephen Drew? Asdrubal Cabrera? Jed Lowrie? Those three options make me think of a scene from Coming To America...

"___ you, ___ you, and ___ you. Who's next?"

So trade for Starlin Castro. Trade for Didi Gregorius. Trade for Elvis Andrus. Heck, trade for Jimmy Rollins. Just do not settle for one of those three stooges mentioned above.

Another story surrounding the Yankees' 2014/2015 offseason, which in my mind ties into the shortstop situation, has to do with their situation at third base. I had said that I wanted the Yankees to bring back Chase Headley, and I'm not completely changing that stance. 

Did you catch that? I said, I'm not completely changing my stance on that one.

See, if the Yankees end up acquiring somebody with an average bat to play shortstop, then I believe it would be ideal for them to get a more proven player at third base. For example, if they traded for Jimmy Rollins, then by all means bring back Chase Headley to man the hot corner.

However, if Cashman and Company were somehow able to deal for somebody like Starlin Castro, then allow either Rob Refsnyder or Jose Pirela to play second base while Martin Prado handles things at third.

The reason I say that is there's a better than zero percent chance that both Refsnyder and Pirela do not pan out. If that were to happen, and the Yankees have a poor hitter playing shortstop, then you're looking at another below average lineup in 2015. 

Take a look at this possible batting lineup...

1. Brett Gardner

2. Jacoby Ellsbury

3. Brian McCann

4. Carlos Beltran

5. Mark Teixeira

6. Alex Rodriguez

7. Martin Prado

8. Average Shortstop

9. Rob Refsnyder/Jose Pirela

Yep.

Take out the kids, add Chase Headley, and you can feel a little better...

1. Brett Gardner

2. Jacoby Ellsbury

3. Brian McCann

4. Carlos Beltran

5. Mark Teixiera

6. Chase Headley

7. Alex Rodriguez

8. Martin Prado

9. Average Shortstop

Like I said... feel a little better. 

By the way, I didn't think that hard about the order. So tinker with that if you want, but don't rake me over the coals if you don't agree with it.

Either way, it doesn't look like the offense is going to be a whole lot better than it was last season. That brings me to my last idea.

Even though the Yankees have plenty of starting options going into 2015, too many of them have questions. Will Masahiro Tanaka's elbow hold up, or will he need Tommy John surgery? Can we trust Michael Pineda's shoulder? Is it dumb to think CC Sabathia can be effective ever again? Are Shane Greene and David Phelps for real? Will Ivan Nova return and be 2013 Nova or 2012 Nova?

So while I called for the re-signing of Brandon McCarthy in my last idea article, the need for great run prevention is just too much. Therefore, I'm changing things up and asking the Yankees to sign either Max Scherzer or Jon Lester.

I honestly don't care which guy it is. Both of them are solid bets to start 30+ games, are basically the same age, and should end their contracts being a middle of the rotation starter at worst. I guess I lean towards Lester since he's spent plenty of time in the AL East, is left-handed, and doesn't come with draft pick compensation. But comparing the two seems like splitting hairs. 

So let's break it down...

-Sign David Robertson.

-Trade for a shortstop.

-Sign Headley if the new shortstop is a weak hitter, or if the new SS hits well then just move Prado to 3B and Refsnyder/Pirela to 2B.

-Sign Jon Lester or Max Scherzer

Now, let's see how long before my ideas are shot to hell again.

My Ideas For The Yankees Offseason

Now that that pesky World Series thing is out of the way, it's time to get the offseason started.

While a number of writers are breaking down what the Yankees should do this offseason by going position by position, I thought I'd skip those that don't need attention, and move to their more pressing problems. I mean, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner have center and left field pretty well covered. The same goes for right field, as the team is likely hoping Carlos Beltran can play the majority of games there, or could play Martin Prado out there again like they did last season. Oh, and you can pencil in Brian McCann as the Opening Day starter at catcher.

Then you come to the left side of the infield, the bullpen, and of course... the starting rotation. I suppose a backup first baseman shouldn't be ignored, either.

McCann didn't do a bad job, but another option would be nice.

I wanted to lead off with the starting rotation. While I understand people wanting to see the Yankees sign Max Scherzer or Jon Lester, I don't understand why some people see it as a need.

Per Fangraphs WAR, Yankees' starters were 3rd in the American League. Two of the guys returning to the team next season, Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda, were ranked 2nd and 3rd among starters. However, keep in mind that they each missed quite a few starts, and without those missed starts they could have easily been the top two starters on the team. There's good reason to be worried about each player's health, but that doesn't mean the Yankees should go out and spend upwards of $150 million for Scherzer or Lester in case either or both of them go down again. You have to plan on those two being around. That doesn't mean not having depth, but "depth" falls on guys like David Phelps and Shane Greene... not somebody making over $20 million a season. I've said it plenty of times before... spending that much money should be done on guys needed, not simply wanted.

CC Sabathia has at least 2 more years left with the Yankees (he has an option for another year depending on the health of his left shoulder), and that makes some fans sad. Not me. You see, even though Sabathia probably won't ever again be the ace we saw years ago, that doesn't mean he's worthless. In 2013, quite possible his worst season as a professional, CC was still ranked 46th among qualified starters. So while I wouldn't want him starting big games for the Yankees, as a #3 starter I'm perfectly content. Stop thinking about what he's paid, and just think about what he can or can't do for the team.

Shane Green is somebody that's caught the eye of many in the Yankees organization. In 14 starts last season he posted an ERA of 3.79, while striking out just over a batter an inning. And keeping half of batted balls on the ground bodes well for a guy that would pitch most of the time at homer-friendly Yankee Stadium. That doesn't mean I think Shane should be thrust into the top of the rotation, but as a 4th or 5th starter I think he'd not only do well but could excel.

So there we have four starters for Opening Day. By the way, I said "for Opening Day" because a month or two into the season Ivan Nova will return from Tommy John surgery. And if Ivan can pitch anything like he did in 2013, then the Yankees will be in a very nice position.

On the surface you might think the Yankees just need somebody to give the team a few starts until Nova returns (David Phelps?), at which point the rotation will be all set, but I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that. Sure, I may be optimistic about the health of Tanaka, Pineda, and Sabathia, but I'm not stupid. Even if those three didn't miss a single start in 2015, there's still a chance that Green gets hurt, Nova suffers a setback during rehab, or Phelps has issues.That means bringing in another pitcher as insurance. And not just any "insurance," but good "insurance." And to me that guy is Brandon McCarthy.

While Lester and Scherzer will likely demand contracts in the range of 7 years and $165 million, McCarthy could be looking at a deal around 3 years and $45 million. No matter how good he was last season, Brandon has missed way too much time over the years to warrant being given a deal much higher. Should Brandon go down with injury again, a contract like that would be much easier for a team like the Yankees to stomach, making it a good gamble in my opinion. And if McCarthy does stay healthy, then the Yankees have an average starter at worst.

Yeah, this picture has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. But it's NPH, and he's awesome.

Since we're on the subject of pitching I'm going to next take a look at the bullpen. Last season, again... per Fangraphs WAR, the Yankees were tied with the Royals as having the best bullpen in baseball. And while middle relievers have something to do with that, I'm more concerned with the two guys that the Yankees depend on most in the 'pen...the closer and set-up man. Dellin Betances, who busted out in a huge way last season, will be back next season. And while he may not be quite as dominant in his sophomore season in MLB, I see no reason why he won't be among the better relievers yet again. However, just because he could very likely thrive as the new closer, that doesn't mean the Yankees should let David Robertson walk away.

The loss of Robertson would leave gigantic shoes to fill. Face it, the Yankees were lucky last year when they didn't find a suitable replacement for Mariano Rivera. Even though Robertson was there to step into the closer's role, the set-up spot was hardly solidified. If it wasn't for Dellin stepping up like he did, then there's a good chance the team would have been eliminated from postseason play much sooner than they were. And I sure as hell don't want to go into next season hoping to get lucky again. So re-signing Robertson should be fairly high on the team's to-do list this offseason. In fact, they should get it done as soon as possible so they can move on to other things.

Onto the infield... I really think the team should bring back Chase Headley. Not only will the team not have to give Headley a large contract like they would somebody like Pablo Sandoval, but the guy has shown a love of New York. That means quite a bit to me.

On that note, the fact that Carlos Beltran wanted to be a Yankee so bad that he turned down two larger offers makes me believe in him bouncing back. Playing poorly is bad enough for a professional athlete, but doing so in a place where you really want to play has to hurt quite a bit more.

Back to Headley...

Chase's wOBA of .347 is pretty good, and would be welcome back. Sure, I'd like to see him get some more power back, as a .398 slugging percentage (what he did with the Yankees last season) is cringe-worthy, but being able to get on base as often as he did is certainly a good thing.

Then you have Headley's ability to play 1B. Mark Teixeira is not going to be able to play a ton in the field, as he has a fairly good size injury history (as mentioned in a previous article of mine), making Headley's ability to handle 1B every so often a good one. And in that case you can play either Alex Rodriguez (whose contract is not going to be terminated... sorry) or Martin Prado at third.

I suppose I should have mentioned that I really don't think Alex Rodriguez is going to be able to play regularly at third base. With all his hip issues, his missed time due too suspension, and the fact that he was an average defender there in the first place, I think ARod will spend the majority his remaining MLB career as a designated hitter.

Then again, it might be a good idea to just release Rodriguez. The team would probably be better off, as it's highly likely that Alex has to go on the DL again at some point anyway. Not to mention that they will have to give DH time to Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira too.

That's probably a dream, though. So might as well include ARod when talking about the 2015 Yankees.

Yeah, that looks better.

That leaves the most pressing concern... shortstop. The only guy within the organization that could regularly take over the position is Brendan Ryan, and I really wouldn't want a guy that's hit .234/.295/.314 in his career to get anything close to regular playing time. And looking at the free agency pool doesn't get me excited either.

Asdrubal Cabrera has hit pretty bad the past two years, Jed Lowrie's bat isn't much better, and Stephen Drew doesn't instill a ton of confidence at the plate either. For a team like the Yankees, who were pretty bad offensively last season, those options are bad, bad, and bad. Then we come to Hanley Ramirez.

Now, I'm well aware of the fact that Ramirez is a shortstop by name only. As a matter of fact, he reminds me of a player that is good for fantasy baseball, as he's eligible at a premium position, but in reality you probably wouldn't play him there. But when thinking about Ramirez I remembered two things...

1. The Yankees have to put offensive ability before defensive ability. Run prevention wasn't nearly as big a problem as run production.
2. The Yankees previous shortstop wasn't the greatest defender, either.

At 30 years old, with a little work, I think Hanley could get the job done at short for a few more years. That doesn't mean I think he could win a Gold Glove, but I don't think he would be a huge liability on defense. And assuming he were signed for five years, third or first base could open up for him to be moved to.

Again, run production is the key thing to gain this offseason, and Hanley's the best option to get that done.

So let's review...

1. Sign Brandon McCarthy
2. Re-sign David Robertson
3. Sign Chase Headley
4. Sign Hanley Ramirez

I believe the top three things could happen pretty soon. The Yankees should take advantage of their exclusive negotiating window with Robertson and get him locked up, while McCarthy and Headley have said they loved their time with the Yankees and would like to return. I don't know much of anything about what Ramirez is thinking, so he could be tough. Perhaps he bought a house and is settled on the west coast, making it easier for the Dodgers to retain him. But he did play for the Marlins and the Mets before going to LA, and playing for the Yankees is still attractive to baseball players.

So you bring back the majority of what was the best pitching staff in the American League last season, improve on offense with Ramirez over Jeter, and hope guys like McCann and Beltran can get back to their pre-2014 selves. Not to mention Alex Rodriguez being able to come back from missing the last 1+ years and contribute, and Mark Teixeira being able to cope with a something as minor as a hangnail without needing to take a day or two off. What I'm saying is the Yankees have a tough hill to climb to be true contenders in 2015, but it's not impossible to do so either.

Seriously, Mark... get up and play already.