The Future of the Yankees System - The Second Baseman

Earlier today we looked at the state of the Yankees farm system and specifically the state of the Yankees organization as it relates to the shortstop position. This post will also focus on the Yankees shortstop position but with a little bit of a twist. In this post we will once again focus and showcase the Yankees prospects but the prospects that I don't believe will stick at the shortstop position, these shortstops will likely move to second base when all the dust settles. And not because these shortstops are necessarily bad or lacking in any facet of their game, no, but more so about just how stacked the Yankees system is at the position right now.

Abi Avelino has a ton of talent and is seemingly wasting it away in the Yankees system. That sounds harsh but it sounds worse than it really is. The Yankees have an absolute ton of talent at the shortstop position and were forced to move some of their talent to the second base position. Avelino was one of those shortstops that drew the short straw playing in 61 games at second base and 10 games at third base in 2016. That may be his future, especially the longer he sticks in the Yankees system.

Tyler Wade, a Top 10 Prospect to some and a bonafide top prospect in the Yankees system regardless of his ranking, also played 24 games at second base in 2015. Wade also played all over the infield during his brief stay with the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League. His bat may not be strong enough to justify keeping him at the shortstop position and he may be forced to the second base position eventually anyway.

Another Yankees shortstop and another prospect that played a ton of games out of position in 2015. Vince Conde played a whopping 51 games at second base last season and even played another 16 games at third base out of necessity.

Angel Aguilar is the final Yankees shortstop prospect that may find a future at a position other than the shortstop position. That's not because Aguilar cannot handle the shortstop position, because he can, but because the Yankees simply don't have enough affiliates and enough shortstop positions to play all of their talented shortstops. Aguilar played 26 games at second base and 13 games at third base in 2015 behind the liked of Jorge Mateo, Wilkerman Garcia and Thairo Estrada.

The final prospect, and I am on the bench about this I assure you, is one of the Yankees first round picks from the 2015 MLB Draft Kyle Holder. Sure his defense is said to be elite and his defense is said to be MLB ready at this point but his bat leaves much to be desired. Can the Yankees truly get by with a future shortstop that hits .220 but plays a strong defense? Maybe on the bench, see Brendan Ryan, but as a starter they probably can't.

That's an absolute ton of talent. A trade is definitely coming.

The Future of the Yankees System - The Shortstops

The New York Yankees have spent the last few seasons not only trying to compete at the Major League level year in and year out the team has also been working towards, maybe even hard towards, building a true and legitimate farm system. The system and the men running this system are presumably new at building a farm system from the ground up so there were obviously some hiccups along the way but the team seems to have finally got it. Not only is the team finding spots for their emerging talents on the MLB roster but they are also finding ways to prop up their prospects for trades to fill out the rest of the roster. The Yankees were once stacked at the catcher position, the outfield position and the right-handed reliever position and the Yankees latest area of focus has seemingly been the middle infield. The Yankees have stockpiled a stable of shortstops and second baseman that will either have a future with the big league Yankees or have a future as trade bait that bring players back to New York.

We all know the list of impressive shortstops the Yankees have in their minor league system but how many will stick at the position and how many may have to switch positions is something that many may not know going forward. New York has seemingly found the replacement to Derek Jeter in Didi Gregorius but who may be the next Derek Jeter?

We'll start with the man who wants to be the next Derek Jeter, Jorge Mateo. Mateo is arguably the Yankees best prospect in the entire system and is coming off a strong season where he stole 82 bases across various minor league systems. Mateo is the obvious choice to be a future MLB shortstop, whether that be with the Yankees or with another MLB club. He has the speed, the bat and the defense to stick long term.

Thairo Estrada was held back to continue his development in short-season ball not because he wasn't ready for a full season but because the Yankees system is that stacked at the position. Estrada showed a great bat with doubles power and an even better batting eye taking almost as many walks as he recorded strikeouts in 2015. This all happened while Estrada was still the youngest player in the New York/Penn League.

Hoy-Jun Park benefited from the Yankees adding another affiliate in Pulaski and he tore up the Appalachian League. Park stole bases, hit for power and hit for extra base hits while giving the organization zero doubts about his ability to play professional baseball despite still being a teenager.

The final prospect that looks likely to stick at the shortstop position is Wilkerman Garcia. While Jorge Mateo is ranked as the best Yankees prospect overall and the best shortstop in the system to some but to others Garcia will be the better of the two when all the dust is settled. You don't take a talent like Garcia and move him off the shortstop position unless you absolutely have to, and you shouldn't have to if you're the Yankees.

Remembering 2015: Didi Gregorius Highlights

Weekly Check in: Jorge Mateo

Jorge Mateo may still be the best shortstop on the Yankees, major leagues and minor leagues included, despite still being in the lower levels of the Yankees system. Mateo defends well, takes his walks, runs the bases well, steals bases and has what seems to be a great general baseball IQ. One thing that was not mentioned was the hitting aspect of his game, something he still needs to work on if he wants to be more than a speedy Brendan Ryan in his career.

You can see what I mean with the Ryan comparisons by looking at this stat line: 

Year	Lev	G	PA	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
2015	A	42	179	19	42	5	3	2	16	34	13	38	.261	.314	.366	.681

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Alex Rodriguez Worst Case Scenario at SS?

"Take over Bro, I'm out."

Unless you have been living under a rock for the better part of a calendar year you have heard that Derek Jeter has retired and the New York Yankees are looking for a shortstop. While the market for shortstops is quickly drying up thanks to the Boston Red Sox buying all the top free agents available (and still telling New York fans how they "buy" their rings) the Yankees may start getting desperate for a replacement for Jeter. Let's be honest here before we get too far into this post by saying that whoever the Yankees get unless it's a Troy Tulowitzki the fans are going to hate at first because he's not Jeter and he's not "our" shortstop. Everyone already hates Alex Rodriguez, would he be the worst case scenario at shortstop? Boy I have a feeling this isn't going to be a popular blog post...

While we look at as many stats as we can to make a decision here we are going to use A Rod's 2012 stats as that was his last full season. Obviously it's hard, or impossible, to compare third base to shortstops and hard to quantify almost two full years off the team and another bad hip surgery for Rodriguez but what they heck, I'm still turkey drunk so let's go for it. 

Let's start slow, errors, where Derek Jeter made 11 in 267 opportunities in 2014. The good for Jeter is seven of those errors came on errant throws that Mark Teixeira could not dig out of the dirt or the air in time and the bad is that Jeter's range could have prevented a whole lot more. Jeter was below average in his final season, remember as a 40 year old shortstop, in league fielding percentage and far below league average in league range factor per 9 IP and league range factor per game. Jeter was worth a whopping -27 runs defensively and saved -12 runs in his final season but I think we all knew that Derek struggled, I think we're all here to see is Alex could fill in for Derek at short in 2015.

The short answer is obviously no but considering that the free agent market is dry, the farm system is dry for shortstops, and a one year pillow contract with a Stephen Drew or equivalent does nothing for the team as the free agent market and farm will likely be comparable this time next year. In 2012 Alex was worth -6 runs in the field and saved -2 runs in the field. Alex was above average using fielding percentage and just slightly below average in league range factor per 9 IP and per game showing the obvious signs of a defensive decline. Factor in the fact that Alex has missed the better parts of two seasons and had that hip surgery, which he has had plenty of time to let heal and rehab the injury to get back into playing shape, and his stats may look a lot like Derek's stats defensively in 2015. 

This wouldn't be Plan A or even Plan L but honestly I personally think it wouldn't be Plan Z either. The Yankees fans are used to spotty range at shortstop and can't expect much offense from the position either. I'm not saying announce him as the starting shortstop now and stop trying to build a better team and fill the position with a better suited player but I am saying with a rangy guy like Headley at third and one of Martin Prado, Jose Pirela and Robert Refsnyder at second base cheating a step or two on both sides I think the team could make it work, at least until July anyway. 

Hear Me Out.... Hanley Ramirez For 2015 Shortstop

Before you shoot the messenger hear me out and at least consider Hanley Ramirez as your shortstop for the 2015 season. The New York Yankees will have Alex Rodriguez back in 2015 in one way or another and whether you like it or not so in some capacity the third base position seems to be taken but could Hanley handle the shortstop position one more season before making a move to third base in 2016? I say why not.

Sure the defense would have to deal with the inconsistencies on the defensive side of the ball but I believe Ramirez could more than make up for that with his bat. Ramirez is the type of bat the Yankees could put in the middle of that lineup and one that would make a difference. Hanley could then move to third base in 2016 where he would finish out the remainder of his contract, whatever the length may be.

Imagine this lineup with Ramirez in the middle of it. With him there I truly think, considering that Beltran will be better after the surgery, Teixeira will be better after a "normal" offseason, and McCann will be better after he adjusts to New York, this is your best lineup in all of Major League Baseball:

1. Jacoby Ellsbury
2. Martin Prado
3. Brett Gardner
4. Hanley Ramirez
5. Brian McCann
6. Carlos Beltran
7. Mark Teixeira
8. Alex Rodriguez
9. Whoever DH's or Chase Headley if he plays third and A Rod plays as the DH

Yankees Have Not Made An Offer To Stephen Drew

Buster Olney (sorry, I don't have a link) is reporting that while the Yankees have made offers to free agents Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Shin-Soo Choo, one guy they haven't made an offer to is Stephen Drew.

This news saddens me a bit, as I was hoping the Yankees were looking to replace Jeter at shortstop. But I suppose Drew doesn't fit a need, which is somebody that could spend time at third base as well. Drew has spent every inning in the field as short. Unlike Jhonny Peralta, who has spent quite a bit of time at both positions on the left side of the infield. Unfortunately, Peralta just signed with the Cardinals.

I suppose this doesn't mean Drew is off the Yankees radar, but it does tell me that he's low on the list of priorities. Which is understandable.

Eduardo Nunez Breaking News?

But can he play shortstop, that is the question....