Question #103: Who’s in center?
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- November
- 19
Several years ago, Brian Cashman spent the entire winter talking about how Bubba Crosby was going to be the Yankees center fielder. Bernie Williams was gone and with no obvious options on the horizon, Cashman said he was going to give Crosby a chance as an everyday player.
Then he signed Johnny Damon. (Crosby, by the way, is out of baseball now)
I mention this because so far this winter Cashman has said, several times, that Brett Gardner is the team’s likely center fielder. No one really believes this, in part because – well, it just doesn’t seem altogether likely – and in part because of what happened with Damon.
So who will be the Yanks’ next CF? It would seem like they’re looking for a stopgap solution, someone to fill the role for a few years until Austin Jackson, a hyped prospect, could be ready for the bigs. If that’s true, signing or trading for a player with a long-term deal might wouldn’t be ideal.
Someone like Mike Cameron? He was a hot name early on. Then there was the whole Beltran-for-Cano/Hughes rumor that was working its way around the city a month ago. Doesn’t seem likely though.
I think the Yanks could end up with someone like Gary Matthews. The Angels signed him then picked up Torii Hunter and so Matthews is more of an extra piece for them. Could Matthews fit with the Yanks? His numbers were rough last year (but so were Nick Swisher’s) but he’s got three years left on a contract and has shown good skill, particularly defensively, in the past.
Great addition? Probably not. But maybe the best kind of stopgap until the Yanks’ future arrives.
Who do you think will be playing center for the Yankees in 2009?
CARP SAYS:
Maybe Jorge Posada can play center field.
Seriously, and this is something we’ve discussed on and off for a while, it looks as if so much revolves about whether Posada can catch that the Yankees’ hands are tied to a large degree. That’s why I think the Nick Swisher trade indicates that the Yankees believe (fear) that Posada will not be doing a lot of catching this year. So there will be days when Posada plays first and Swisher the outfield, and days when Posada DHs and maybe Matsui plays the outfield or sits, and probably therefore days when Damon has to slide over and play some center field.
My point is, the Yankees still have all these guys for so few positions. It doesn’t seem likely they’re going to go get an everyday center fielder of any significance, and franky none of those options is a lot greater than Melky Cabrera.
As for Brett Gardner, I don’t see him hitting enough to play with any regularity, and if he is in center and Jose Molina is behind the plate (and with the subtractions of Jason Giambi’s bat and probably Bobby Abreu’s bat) the Yankees are going to have plenty of trouble scoring runs again. More trouble than last year.
I don’t understand. Every conversation about center field returns to the fact that so and so is a good defensive player but his numbers aren’t so great. So now we have Melky, Gardner, Cameron and Matthews that fall into that category. Why would the team acquire a player who has the same skills as the two they have?!
This is a totally fair question, Elyse. I guess I’d say that the potential for Matthews, in my opinion, to have better-than-average numbers is far higher than Melky, Gardner, etc. That’s why I think he’s a more legit option.
Your point is well-taken though. If the Yanks are willing to spend crazy money on pitching (as we’ve seen in the contract offer to CC and impending ones to Burnett/Lowe), then why not just go out and get the best CF possible?
The issue, I think, is that Cashman is also somewhat tied to the notion that the farm system is important (and rightfully so). Jackson is a player they have liked and had their eye on for a while, and all reports are that he’s a star of the future. So a big-ticket signing would shut that door on Jackson’s rise in a few years and I’m not sure that’s something the Yanks are ready to do just yet.
Austin is their future Center Fielder – the Yankees will not shut the door on him with a big name CF signing. All signs point to A Jax taking (pardon the pun) center stage by 2010. To bottle that up now would be a mistake. Matthews and Cameron while comparative to Gardner/Melky are still a notch better. Melky regressed to the point of instant out and Gardner never really found his footing – showing himself to be a fourth outfielder at best (which is what I believe Melky is as well). Obtaining Matthews/Cameron plugs an obvious hole for the short term. Matthews IMO is a harder pill to swallow because of his 3 year deal which would, in effect, pinch A Jax in the minors for too long – and/or make getting rid of Matthews a big deal when A Jax proves himself ready.
The Yanks spending big bundaloos on starting pitching makes all the sense in the world – especially a bonafide #1 ace. (Something they have not had in a long time). I got no quibble with that. CF tho, is not something that the Yankees desperately need – and nor should they spend large to land a great CF especially with A Jax just around the corner. I have no doubt he’ll get a Sept call up in 09 (if not sooner) if he proves he can handle AAA. (BTW, the jump from A to AA is a lot harder than AA to AAA – so the fact that A Jax showed little difficulty in handling the transition speaks volumes to his talent and work ethic).
Do I think the Yankees start 09 with Melky and Gardner fighting for the starting job in CF? I don’t think so. It’s a long winter and right now, Cashman’s priorities should rightfully focus on 3/5’s of a rotation that does NOT consist of Rasner/Ponson/Pavano and getting an ace (or two). CF is serviceable for now, but I’d be surprised if Gardner or Melky were still with the Yankees come next spring. More than likely – one of them is traded (Melky IMO) and the other becomes the 4th OF. My money is on Cameron coming to the Yanks – and probably for Melky and a couple of second rate pitching prospects.
Thank you Sam for your response! Your post clarifies your position, but I still have hope that Melky’s numbers will improve.
Posada in center is like asking a moose to hunt Palin – doesn’t work. But funny.
With the return to health of Posada and Matsui and a full years worth of Arod (who still managed to hit more than 30 hr and 100 rbi even after missing a month), the return of Cano, and if Jeter can stop trying to hit singles with his hands instead of the bat, the offense will do fine – probably not 968 runs worth, but better than the 786 or so they scored in 08. And removing Melky from the lineup is addition by subtraction. (A chair with a bat sitting on it was better than Melky at one point.) And replacing Melky’s bat with Swisher will only help even more. The Yankees have a bit of a glut of aging positionless players and they just dumped two of them (Giambi and Abreu) and will dump two more next year (Damon and Matsui). Posada and Jeter will be the last to go – and Posada will, unfortuately, probably turn into our Varitek in the last two years of his contract – throwing out runners as frequently as the Bush administration tells the truth. Hopefully his offense will see little drop off. I can see Jeter being moved to the OF or 1B (if Tex doesn’t sign) by the time his contract is up for renewel. The Yanks could stand to improve their defense (of course), but with the glut of DH’s pretending to be position players that the Yankees have, the only All Star CF coming to the Yanks I see will be AJax.
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