The Chris Carter Countdown Has Begun

*cue the music*

It’s the final countdown…… Yeah I’ll stop there but really we could be all witnessing the final countdown of Chris Carter in Yankees pinstripes. The New York Yankees announced on Monday that first baseman/outfielder Tyler Austin had been activated off the 60-day disabled list and had been optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre. Chris Carter, you’re on the clock.

Austin broke a bone in his foot back in February and has been sidelined ever since but has finally worked his way back to live game action. The Yankees first baseman have struggled for the majority of the 2017 season and Austin may be the remedy to the problem. Having Austin on the roster, even when Greg Bird is deemed healthy enough to return, takes a one-dimensional player off the team that is only there for his right-handed power and adds a versatile player with right-handed power. It really is a win-win for the Yankees since the cost of Carter’s contract is already a sunken cost.

At the time of this writing Carter was hitting .180/.279/.333 with four home runs in 129 plate appearances which is a far cry from his 2016 campaign when he led the National League in home runs. Austin can do that and play defense too. Make the move, it’s a move for the now and for the future. 

Is It Time for Me to Eat Crow on Tyler Wade?

If you guys and girls have been reading me long enough you know that I am not all that high on Yankees infield prospect Tyler Wade. To be completely honest I have never been that high on Wade as I feel like, at the time anyway, he was just another run-of-the-mill defensive-minded shortstop with little in the way of power and hitting in general. In terms of the future and blue chip prospects I still feel this way about Wade but the New York Yankees organization may have found a way to make him useful again, even in my skeptical eyes, and that may be the reason that the team is now so suddenly willing to part with Robert Refsnyder. The Yankees ultimate plan may have been to make Wade the super utility player that Refsnyder simply failed to be defensively.  

So is it time for me to eat crow on Wade and my thoughts of him as a top Yankees prospect? I mean, maybe, but that doesn’t mean I am going to. I’m stubborn like that and I still don’t see the “need” for a guy who can’t hit but can defend at multiple positions. The Yankees have that in Refsnyder already and they also have Ronald Torreyes on the roster making three types of “no-bat but plus-defense” players redundant in my opinion hence the Refsnyder trade rumors. To be completely honest though I am not sure I am ready to eat crow on Wade just yet, not because the Yankees think highly of him. I would eat crow when I think highly of him, and I still don’t. 

At the time of this writing the Yankees had played in 18 spring training games as a part of their Grapefruit League schedule and Wade has been in 13 of them collecting a .429/.478/.524 triple slash. That’s great, don’t get me wrong, but when a veteran on a minor league deal does this the media is the first to temper expectations and remind us that spring training stats don’t matter and yada, yada, yada. Why isn’t that the case with Wade? Because those same media outlets and journalist want you to click their articles that tease the Refsnyder trade rumors and the idea of the “next big thing” prospect in New York, that’s why. Wade isn’t even ready for the Major League level after spending the entire 2016 season at Double-A with the Trenton Thunder so I don’t get the direct correlation between him and Refsnyder, yet, but hey… what do I know? I’m just a guy with a blog that’s watched baseball since I was two-years old and who has watched religiously since 1994. 

I get the idea and mindset behind Wade, I truly do. He is a skilled shortstop who has played third base and all three of the outfield positions but the fact remains that I could probably get out from behind my computer and hit the ball better than Wade does over the course of a 162-game season. That’s not me bragging that’s just me exaggerating heavily to show my point that Wade just isn’t projected to be and hasn’t been a huge hitter at the minor league or major league level. Period. Refsnyder has struggled since his first season in the majors but he was at least a near .300 hitter in the minor leagues before coming up to the show. Wade cannot say that and likely never will. 

This isn’t the National League people, the Yankees need offense. Even late in games and even off the bench. That’s not Wade. That’s not Refsnyder right now either to be fair but at least Refsnyder projects to show some offensive prowess in his career and has at least shown an ability to handle MLB caliber pitching. Wade hasn’t and until he does I will not admit defeat on Refsnyder nor will I admit I was wrong on Wade, because I wasn’t. 

Report: Yankees Looking to Trade Rob Refsnyder and the Sky is Officially Falling in the Burch Household

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! No really though guys, the sky is falling. While I may be exaggerating just a tad I feel like it is in my little world that I call the Burch Household. Why? Well George A. King of the New York Post reported over the weekend that the New York Yankees have told teams that they are listening to offers for utility man, and my absolute favorite prospect in all the land, Robert Refsnyder. While this doesn’t mean a transaction is imminent by any means it means the Yankees are at least entertaining the idea of moving him and that, in a nutshell, breaks my heart.

I can’t help it. I’m a fan. I’ve been a fan of Refsnyder since the Yankees took the outfielder out of the University of Arizona back in 2012 and I am a fan today. I was a fan when Refsnyder was transferred to second base and I was a fan when Stephen Drew (Sucks) was clogging up the second base position while Refsnyder was hitting .300 in Triple-A. I was a fan during Refsnyder’s first 16 games of his Major League career when he slashed .302/.348/.512 with five extra-base hits, five RBI and two stolen bases and I was a fan when he started at second base in the team’s Wild Card playoff game against the Houston Astros and Dallas Keuchel.

If I am being 100% honest, while I will admittedly be crushed, I would be happy if Refsnyder were to be traded only because it means he could potentially get the playing time that he not only needs but also deserves in my obviously bias and yet humble opinion. Refsnyder should have been called up at least a year earlier than he was and was slated to be the team’s starting second baseman until the Starlin Castro acquisition from the Chicago Cubs. Refsnyder has been looked over and passed over ever since he was drafted and it seems unlikely he will ever get a true shot here in the Bronx so no one would or should begrudge him for going elsewhere to get that shot. This sport isn’t the NBA, you have to play your entire life just to get a 15-minute cup of coffee in the show and if that cup of Joe isn’t in the Bronx I’ll just be glad that he got it at all, regardless of where it is.

What the Yankees could be getting back for Refsnyder is anyone’s guess, not a game changer or a huge name in my opinion although there is always that Jose Quintana rumor still hanging around Yankee Land, but at this point anything is better than nothing. At least in Refsnyder’s case. Good luck to the soon-to-be 26-year old no matter what happens and where he ends up. Just know I am going to terribly upset if that isn’t with the Yankees in some capacity for the 2017 season. 

Bring Back Peter O’Brien

The New York Yankees are in the midst of a youth movement so wouldn’t it make sense to bring back one of the young guys they traded away not too long ago? I mean, it makes sense to me as there is no such thing as a bad minor league deal so what are the Yankees waiting for? Bring back Peter O’Brien.

O’Brien was the Yankees second round pick back in the 2012 MLB First Year Players Draft and he toiled around in the Yankees farm system until the 2014 season when Yankees GM Brian Cashman traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Martin Prado deal. Prado was nice for the half-season he was in the Bronx but O’Brien was full of potential with his heavy bat and impressive batting average numbers in the minor leagues so losing a talent like his hurt a bit.

O’Brien destroyed Triple-A pitching in 2015 which led to his MLB debut with the Diamondbacks and continued to crush minor league pitching in 2016 but for whatever reason that never translated into much success at the MLB level. Sure in eight games in 2015 he finished with a .400 batting average but in 2016 the former catcher and third baseman managed just a .141 batting average with a .571 OPS with five home runs in 64 at-bats leading to the team designating him for assignment this winter.

O’Brien’s numbers at the MLB level are ugly, no one can deny that, but he’s still just 26-years old and won’t be 27-years old until the heat of the summer in 2017 leaving some upside for the former Yankees prospect. With O’Brien having experience at the catcher position as well as first base, third base, right field and left field the Yankees may want to keep him around at the Triple-A level just in case an injury or three happens this coming season. The Yankees, and specifically manager Joe Girardi, love flexibility and versatility and O’Brien brings a ton of both with his heavy, power-hitting bat.

What’s the worst that could happen with a minor league deal with an invite to spring training? He flops? So what? Now what’s the best thing that could happen? Well he could beat out Tyler Austin for one of the final Yankees bench spots and he could take advantage of the small dimensions inside Yankee Stadium giving the Yankees a legitimate power hitting threat off the bench. All for a minor league deal and potentially $507,500. Sounds like a win-win to me. Get it done.

Weekly Prospects Check In: Aaron Judge

The New York Yankees brought Aaron Hicks over this offseason hoping that the switch hitter could not only give days off to both Jacoby Ellsbury and Brett Gardner but also provide a spark and a power threat off the bench. The Yankees lived up to their end of the deal giving Hicks farm more playing time than most fourth outfielders receive and the Yankees have given Hicks more than enough chances to snap out of a small sample size drought.

Yes I realize it takes longer for switch hitters to get going because they need to work on things from both sides of the plate but it’s not like he’s playing with the frequency that Ronald Torreyes is. Yet Torreyes continues to hit which leads me to wonder how long the leash is for Hicks and how much longer Aaron Judge must toil away in the minor leagues.

If it is today, which it won’t be because the Yankees are the Yankees, this is what the Judge would bring to the table. The table he would undoubtedly set. 

Year	Age	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	24	AAA	79	352	50	82	15	16	53	5	38	82	.270	.361	.484	.844

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 7/5/2016.

Why Not DL Mark Teixeira & Make Sure He’s Healthy?

It’s the same old song and dance with these New York Yankees. A player gets hurt and rather than placing said player on the disabled list the team would rather play with a 24 man, and even a 23 man for a few games this season, bench for whatever reason. The team did it when Jacoby Ellsbury was hurt and missed what felt like a month and they’ve done it with Mark Teixeira due to this neck pain once already this season. Why do it again? Why not just place Teixeira on the disabled list, especially with Alex Rodriguez coming off the disabled list, and make double sure that Teixeira is healthy and effective? I don’t get it.

Are the Yankees truly concerned about missing his sub-.200 batting average in the middle of the lineup? Are the Yankees truly concerned about losing his one home run a month pace, which I am under-exaggerating on for emphasis, for two weeks? The Yankees could place almost anyone in his spot and get comparable or better production from them offensively. Teixeira has stunk up the place to date this season.

I know one thing the Yankees are truly concerned about doing without and that is his defense at first base. The best option the Yankees have at first may be Chase Headley and he is nowhere near as effective or talented at the position than Teixeira is. Dustin Ackley is not the answer at first base, again defensively speaking, and New York doesn’t have any true options down on the farm leaving the Yankees in a pickle.

Do they sacrifice defense in lieu of offense and try to get by with Ackley while Robert Refsnyder heads down to Triple-A to learn a new position? It almost feels like they have to at this point, no? This is already the second time the neck has stiffened up and given Teixeira pain which leads you to believe that if it’s not properly rested, rehabbed and/or fixed that it will happen again the longer the season draws on. We need Teixeira more in August and September than we do now, although granted we need him back and effective pretty badly right now, so the team needs to get this done sooner rather than later. DL him, get him healthy and get back to our winning ways.

Ackley or Torreyes Should Go Down, Not Refsnyder

The New York Yankees were set to get back their 41-year old DH Alex Rodriguez before their series with the Toronto Blue Jays this week inside Yankee Stadium leaving many to wonder if Robert Refsnyder would be sent back down to Triple-A. I predicted Refsnyder would be sent down in an article that went live during Monday’s off day and whether or not that once again came to fruition remains to be seen but I wanted to speak on it a little bit this morning. Now I know what you’re thinking, here this guy goes again ranting and raving about Refsnyder like he’s the second coming of Derek Jeter, but it’s not going to go down like that. I am not going to rant, nor am I going to rave but instead I will simply suggest why I think either Dustin Ackley or Ronald Torreyes should go back down to Scranton and not Refsnyder.

When Refsnyder was called up he was sporting a .293/.336/.398 triple slash with two home runs and was fresh off a 16-game hitting streak in 34 games for Scranton and had been hitting right at .400 for the entire month of May. Refsnyder was called up and sat on the bench until Saturday when, playing right field, he fought off a 10-pitch at-bat that resulted in a RBI double off the wall inside the Oakland Coliseum I a 5-1 Yankees victory. Refsnyder has shown an ability to be a tough at-bat and a really tough out both in the minor leagues and in the Major Leagues yet the team continues to hold him back for a problem that they created, his defense.

I say they, and they being the Yankees organization, created because the team drafted him as a right fielder out of Arizona. The team felt it was needed to move him to second base due to arm strength concerns and then to third base out of necessity. Lately Refsnyder has been seen back in the outfield and back in right field specifically, guess that arm strength is okay after all, while Ackley rots on the bench. Ackley is rotting on the bench because of an ugly .152/.273/.125 triple slash in 22 games and may only be here because he is penciled in as the backup first baseman. By the way, have you seen him play first base? I think I’d feel more comfortable with Chase Headley at first base and either Refsnyder or Torreyes at third base but that’s just me.

Look, I’m done. I could tell you all about how the Yankees could mold Refsnyder into a Ben Zobrist type of athlete and how they could likely teach him to play first base but why? The team isn’t going to give him more than a New York minute in the majors just like they did last year and just like they will until they absolutely need him. He’s young, an athlete, energetic and he wants to win. I don’t know that by talking to him but I know that from watching him. The Yankees can’t get out of Refsnyder’s way and they can’t get out of their own way. I’ve been saying it for years and I feel like I’ll be saying it for years to come when he is elsewhere flourishing AGAINST us and not for us. 

Is This the End of Robert Refsnyder?

The New York Yankees are off today but that doesn't mean the brain trust isn't actively working on making some moves for the team. The Yankees were set to activate their DH Alex Rodriguez on Thursday before the 41-year old tweaked his hamstring while jogging down in Arizona. The Yankees decided to give him the weekend and the off day, today, to rest the hamstring with the intentions of activating him tomorrow in the Bronx before the Yankees play host to the Toronto Blue Jays. Does Alex's activation mean the end of the Robert Refsnyder experiment, at least for now, in the Major Leagues?

You have to think yes. Not that he deserves it, he wasn't really given much of a chance this time around, but you have to think that this will be the move that the Yankees pull off. Looking at the Yankees bench you see Austin Romine, Dustin Ackley and Aaron Hicks as names written in stone while the decision comes down to Refsnyder or Torreyes. Torreyes has been up all season long, Refsnyder has not. That should settle it alone. The Yankees feel confident in Torreyes and his ability to play third base while New York is now once again looking at Refsnyder as an outfielder you would have to assume. The Yankees don't need another outfielder, they need someone who can play shortstop in a pinch and someone that back back up Chase Headley.

So there you have it, my guess is that the roster move is Refsnyder down and Alex Rodriguez being activated. I know no more than you and I have no inside information, this is pure speculation, but it makes too much sense not to. Even though Refsnyder has always shown an ability with the bat to make himself a tough out and a tough at bat. I guess that's not enough, you need the defense to go along with it, and that will send Refsnyder back to Triple-A.

Write it down.

Remember the Promise of a 25th Man Revolving Door?

This winter while Brian Cashman was trying to trade everything that wasn’t nailed down to the ground he made a bit of a promise. Well maybe promise isn’t the right word or terminology but he did make a statement that has yet to come to fruition this season. Cashman made the statement this winter that he planned on using the Yankees final bench position, better known as the 25^th man on the roster, as a revolving door much like he has used the last bullpen slot as a means for the Scranton Shuttle the past season and a half. With the injury to Alex Rodriguez you have to wonder if this statement is going to come true or if Cashman even remembers that he said it.  

The Yankees initially called up left-handed relief pitcher James Pazos when the Yankees placed their DH on the 15-day disabled list but with the minor league option already burned for the 2016 season and with his minor league options secure the Yankees could move some pieces around to have a full bench if they wanted to. Who would their most obvious choices be though if they decided to bring up a bench piece and looked to improve the offense? 

Look no farther than Nick Swisher. While technically he may be the hardest player on the list to move up and down this season, his lack of a 40 man roster spot and minor league options complicates things a bit, he may make the most sense for the club. He can play right field and first base and he’s a switch hitter, both things the Yankees seem to love. The problem is when he is sent down he will have to be designated for assignment, clear waivers and then accept a minor league assignment to stay in the organization. Chris Capuano did it 19 times last season, an exaggeration but not by much it felt like, so Swisher could too. I would just hate to bank on that.  

Rob Refsnyder has a 40 man roster spot, unlike Swisher, and has been seen playing second base, third base and most recently right field with the organization. Refsnyder has also played the DH position down in Triple-A making him an ideal candidate for the call up. 

The Yankees are now once again lacking right-handed power in the lineup. Gary Sanchez has right-handed power and he has a 40 man roster spot. The days he isn’t DH’ing he could be giving Brian McCann a half-day off at the DH position or a total day off on the bench keeping him fresh and healthy for the stretch run. 

The final option, although maybe not the most ideal option, would be Aaron Judge. The Yankees are keen on giving Carlos Beltran days at the DH position leaving Aaron Hicks to either play right field or continue to come off the bench while Judge adds a right-handed power bat to the lineup and the outfield. It’s unlikely the Yankees would call up Judge despite putting to bed some of the rumors and fears that he couldn’t handle Triple-A pitching but like the lottery in New York, hey you never know. 

Weekly Prospects Check In: Gary Sanchez

The New York Yankees need a shot in the arm not only offensively but in the youth department as well. The Yankees have looked old this far this season and they have under-exceeded expectations that most fans and personnel inside the organization had for this club. It all started in spring training when players like Robert Refsnyder didn’t live up to the hopes of the team defensively at third base and it continued when Gary Sanchez was sent back to Triple-A after struggling to hit the ball with any consistency. Now the Yankees find themselves needing power and a spark and especially from the right side of the plate, could Sanchez once again provide that?

He could but in my opinion he’s likely not going to any time soon. The Yankees seem to want to delay his free agency by a season keeping by him in the minor leagues for a few more weeks and the team frankly doesn’t have a spot for him on the team right now. Sanchez is a catcher by trade and has no other defensive upside other than at the catcher position. New York already has Austin Romine and Brian McCann for that while Alex Rodriguez has finally heated up as the team’s DH leaving Sanchez to toil in the minor leagues until he’s ready or until a need arises.

Sanchez may only be down for a few weeks but if he continues to post the stats that we all have come accustomed to seeing he may not be down for long after that. 

Year	Age	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	23	AAA	19	82	7	17	8	2	11	1	6	13	.227	.293	.440	.733

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Weekly Check In: Nick Swisher

Over the weekend we wrote about the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees rivalry needing a spark but before any rivalry or division can be sparked the Yankees offense needs to be sparked first. The Yankees offense is stagnant, the pitching is mediocre and the bullpen is going through some ups and downs currently, namely Dellin Betances. The New York Yankees need a shot in the arm, they need a change of pace. What they need is a hero. Could that possibly be Nick Swisher?

I’m not donning Swisher as the savior of the 2016 season by any means but you’re almost at the point in the season where you have to start throwing crap at the wall and see what sticks. It’s getting late awfully early and the Yankees cannot try the same thing over and over again and expect a different result, that’s the exact definition of lunacy.

The Yankees have three potential 60-day DL candidates so the 40 man roster spot wouldn’t be an issue and with Swisher’s versatility at first base and in the outfield the bench would survive in my opinion. Swisher’s Triple-A stats support it and if anything New York should be riding this hot streak in the Bronx rather than down in Scranton. But hey, what do I know. I’m just a frustrated and passionate Yankees fan who rants and raves on the internet.

Year	Age	Lev	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	35	AAA	14	58	54	5	17	1	3	6	0	3	11	.315	.345	.500	.845

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Breaking News: Yankees Call Up 3B Drew Bridges?

Have the New York Yankees called up third baseman Drew Bridges from the Charleston Riverdogs? According to the roster and transactions page on Yankees.com, SEEN HERE, they have leaving you to wonder what's the future hold for Chase Headley.

No one is talking about this yet so more when news breaks.

Weekly Check In: Robert Refsnyder

What can I say about my personal favorite Yankees prospect thus far this season? Refsnyder was given an opportunity to learn a new position in spring training with the hopes of breaking the club on the bench but a few miscues in the field kept him from his ultimate goal of making the show. Such has been his story to date as it’s always been his defense that has kept him out of the Bronx for long stretches of time but recently, obligatory small sample size reference inserted here, his bat has not been pressing the issue much either.

Refsnyder has been seen hitting below the Stephen Drew line for much of this young 2016 season which is not an encouraging sign for the young infielder. It will be his bat that ultimately forces the hand of Yankees GM Brian Cashman, not his defense, good looks or personality, and if he wants to be back in the Bronx to stay he needs to hit. Bottom line.

Tough love Ref. I’m your biggest fan next to your parents, I’ve said it numerous times, but you need to step it up if you want to prove the organization and the doubters wrong. How about we start now?

Year	Age	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	25	AAA	17	74	5	13	1	0	5	4	6	8	.194	.257	.239	.496

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Weekly Check In: Robert Refsnyder

I kicked around the idea of even bothering to check in with Robert Refsnyder or not, I truly did. He may possibly be the Yankees top rated second base prospect, or even their third base prospect, but he also may never get a true shot in the Bronx due to questions and concerns with his defense. His bat is there and it’s ready but after being drafted as an outfielder and converted to the infield the transition has not gone as smoothly as New York, or presumably Refsnyder himself, has hoped.

Now we are all left wondering if Refsnyder will ever get a true shot at the Bronx or a shot at the Major Leagues with another ball club. Will he defense ever be good enough, or even adequate, for the MLB level and will his confidence ever recover from being handed the keys the kingdom only to see them snatched away as quick as they were taken away.

Sure I’m bias, I have called myself Refsnyder’s biggest fan next to his mother, but I truly believe the talent is there and I hate to see the talent wasted and the development reversed at a level that he has outgrown. I’m passionate, sue me. 

Year	Age	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2016	25	AAA	12	52	4	10	1	0	5	2	2	6	.204	.231	.265	.496

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Weekly Check In: Ronald Torreyes

Keeping with the trend of new faces to the Yankees organization in our weekly check in’s we head to the Yankees bench to check in with the man that beat out Robert Refsnyder for the final bench spot with the club. His name is Ronald Torreyes and after having dealt with 15 different transactions from the 2015 season and calendar year he may have finally found his niche in New York.

Torreyes like most bench pieces this early in the season hasn’t played all that much but it seems like manager Joe Girardi is willing to use him against left-handed pitching. Between the sample size of spring training and the first two weeks of the season Torreyes seems like he can hold his own with the bat and far exceeds the defense of Robert Refsnyder in the infield.

As much as this hurts me to say it looks like the Yankees knew what they were doing when they sent Refsnyder, my favorite prospect so I am a bit bias, down and kept Torreyes on the bench. It’s still early but, for now anyway, I was wrong and I’m willing to eat the crow that comes along with it.

Keep it up Ronald, as long as it benefits the team I am 100% okay with looking like an idiot. 

Year	Age	G	PA	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2016	23	3	9	3	6	1	0	2	0	0	1	.667	.667	1.000	1.667	370

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Weekly Check In: John Ryan Murphy

Yesterday we checked in with new Yankees fourth outfielder and bench piece Aaron Hicks so this morning we will check in with the man that New York gave up in the deal to the Minnesota Twins, John Ryan Murphy. Murphy was one of my personal favorite Yankees prospects and players when he was here in New York not because he has the flashiest playing style or the best stats but because you could see a true passion for the game when he played and when he rooted his teammates on from the dugout. I also enjoyed watching him bat, he was a line drive hitter with a ton of pop in New York and is now getting the everyday responsibilities in Minnesota. We wish him well, except when he is against us. That’s how it works though.

John Ryan Murphy: 

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2016	2	8	8	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	1	.125	.125	.250	.375	4

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table