Ronnier Mustelier: The Forgotten New York Yankees Option At Third

March 11, 2013; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees second baseman

(95) reaches base on an error against the St. Louis Cardinals at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Remember last spring training when the New York Yankees needed a third baseman because Alex Rodriguez was injured? Well, the Yankees trotted out all sorts of options out there. Well, one option that intrigued was that of Ronnier Mustelier, who even though third base wasn’t his natural position, he played well enough and looked like he could hit a little bit. He banged up his knee towards the end and missed some time. So why hasn’t he been talked about as an option at third this year?

Well, he’s not on the 40-man roster, which is full so they can’t add anyone to it unless someone else gets hurt at this point ( though will be interesting to see who gets dropped if they sign Masahiro Tanaka). Secondly, he’s 29 years old and will turn 30 in August, though to me, if he can rake, it shouldn’t matter how old he is.

Mustelier had a .272/.319/.398 with seven homers and 39 RBI in just 84 games at AAA. The year before, he hit over .300 in just 90 games. He can also play the corner outfield spots, which could help him in a bench role. What’s a little troubling to what the Yankees think of him, is that even when the Yankees need extra infielders he wasn’t added last year.

The Yankees infield could be quite the mess this year, especially third base. The Yankees have failed to develop infielders which have left them in this quagmire. The Yankees should be looking at any and all options so why not Musty?