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| Chase Madorsky |
Matt Linder
On Monday, the Yankees signed minute baseman, Neil Walker to a one-year bargain worth upwards to $4.5M, including incentives. Although the squad has enough of immature options to play minute base, the bargain for the veteran was likewise skillful to top up, inwards their eyes. The scheme was roughly $20M nether the vaunted $197M luxury revenue enhancement threshold, hence it used the fiscal flexibility to bolster the i seat alongside some uncertainty.
The 32 year-old hitting .265/.362/.439 alongside fourteen habitation runs inwards 111 games alongside the Mets together with Brewers final season, which closely mirrors his career totals. In add-on to Walker's mightiness to acquire on base, he is a switch-hitter alongside potent contact skills. His mightiness to create from the left side (his meliorate side) together with pose the ball inwards play helps ease a lineup dominated yesteryear strikeout prone correct handed sluggers. Defensively, Neil is an average minute basemen, only he also tin render some insurance at tertiary together with first, which may endure valuable considering Greg Bird's injury history. That beingness said, Walker himself has his ain problems staying healthy. Interestingly, the Yankees reportedly agreed to acquire him at final year's merchandise deadline, only backed out due to medical issues. Either those concerns are no longer a work or the Yankees were willing to accept the $4M risk. In vii total major league seasons, Neil has alone played inwards 140 games twice together with has missed to a greater extent than or less 50 games each of the yesteryear 2 years due to dorsum together with hamstring problems.
Since many Yankees fans were excited to encounter the continuation of the prospect pipeline inwards 2018, let's await into how the signing affects the youth effort for this season. While many idea Miguel Andujar was the favorite to endure the opening 24-hour interval tertiary baseman, the merchandise for Brandon Drury largely quelled those hopes. However, fifty-fifty later the Drury deal, it seemed equally though Tyler Wade had a legitimate conduct chances to start the flavor equally the team's everyday minute baseman, thank you lot to his potent jump grooming performance. Even if the Yankees decided that Gleyber Torres was cook for the large leagues sometime later April, he could cause got buy the farm the starting minute baseman together with Wade could cause got replaced Ronald Torreyes equally the utility-man. All the while, Miguel Andujar would gain a total yr of experience inwards Triple-A together with serve equally insurance for Drury. However, the Walker signing has pose a damper on those plans.
Now, it is possible/likely that the Yankees volition ship all iii immature players to Triple-A to get together a formidable infield alongside Andujar at tertiary together with Wade together with Torres alternating at the middle infield positions. Should Walker acquire injured at some quest during the season, which unfortunately seems probable considering his past, the squad together with hence has 2 company options to create total inwards at minute base.
The Walker bargain also impacts the backup showtime base of operations position. He tin serve equally Greg Bird insurance, which allows the Yankees non to acquit a main backup showtime baseman, such equally Tyler Austin, on the roster. Yesterday, Aaron Boone seemingly reinforced this logic yesteryear maxim it would endure “tough” for Austin to brand the roster. By using Walker equally the starting minute baseman together with the backup at first, the squad opens upwards a roster spot. They tin either buy the farm alongside an eight-man bullpen (which they did for much of final season) or a four-man bench. If the Yankees opt for the enhanced bench, it could the include the iii no-doubters (Ellsbury if healthy, Romine together with Torreyes) alongside mortal similar Tyler Wade, who could play multiple times per calendar week yesteryear serving the super utility role. If the squad does non desire to overwhelm Wade alongside learning multiple positions, they tin proceed him inwards Triple-A to develop together with create total the 4th bench spot alongside a journeyman utility histrion (Jace Peterson?). This selection seems the to the lowest degree probable compared to an eight-man bullpen or a Tyler Wade super utility role.
At this point, at that topographic point are to a greater extent than questions than answers, only the Yankees silent cause got over a calendar week earlier Opening Day to come upwards up alongside solutions, together with these situations cause got a agency of working themselves out. For immediately however, the youth effort has been pose on hold.
If you lot cause got whatever questions, comments or criticisms experience costless to achieve out to me at mattlinder2@gmail.com
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