Should The Yankees Move John Ryan Murphy To Third Base?

Feb 25, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees catcher John Ryan Murphy (66) hits a RBI double in foruth inning against the Florida State Seminoles at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

One of the few positions that the New York Yankees have some depth in is at the catcher position. There were numerous reports earlier in the week of teams like the Diamondbacks and White Sox interested in upgrading their catching position and scouting the Yankees.

The Yankees starter will be Brian McCann. Francisco Cervelli and Austin Romine are battling for the backup position with the loser going to Triple-A. Gary Sanchez is regarded as of one of the top catching prospects in all of baseball. He’s got a good bat and is improving his defense.

That leaves the fifth catcher on the 40-man roster, John Ryan Murphy. The man formerly known as JR has impressed with the bat all spring. With the Yankees needing help in the infield, should he be at third base?

The only option at third right now is Kelly Johnson. The Yankees could go with Eduardo Nunez or even Brendan Ryan as a platoon option at the position. Murphy could be a versatile option to add on the bench as a third catcher/ third baseman.

He’s played 27 minor league games at third and played a bit in college and high school as well, so it’s not like it would be an unheard of transition. Last year in the minors between Double-A and Triple-A he had a .269/.347/.426 line with 12 homers and 46 RBI.

The Yankees need all the infield help they can get. Instead of possibly shipping someone out, Murphy should be seeing more time at the position to show if he can play it or not. Spring Training is the perfect time to try it and it’s something the Yankees should be considering.