The Bronx is Boiling: Yankees Offseason Begins

The off-season is officially upon us, Yankees faithful. The rumor mill is flying at full steam and the daily “will we sign him, won’t we sign him” is alive. Quite honestly, it’s my least favorite time of year. I like certainty. I don’t want to know why Jon Lester makes sense for the Yankees to sign, I want concrete evidence that the Yankees are making a play on him. If the executives feel the Yanks need to go another direction, then I could care less about Jon Lester and his illustrious career.

Then there are the boys in Arizona and over seas (well, let’s say over the border) playing winter ball. Believe it or not, our Baby Bombers are crushing things. Greg Bird won the AFL Fall Stars Game MVP with yet another home run and Jose Pirela is hitting the leather off the ball. But this is opening a whole new can of rumors. The Bronx is boiling and I need to blow some steam.

TEMPER YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Mandatory Credit: m.yankees.mlb

Greg Bird is getting a lot of press around Yankees’ circles as of late. It is all well-deserved, however, it comes with caution. The same can be said about Rob Refsnyder. Here’s what it comes down to in a nutshell: the Yankees’ farm system had a credible season last year. It was the first time in a very long time that Yankees’ fans could be excited about our youngsters. And now everyone thinks they are ready for the Big Show. 

More from Yankees News

• Yankees chose worst possible player to ring in New Year on 2023 team calendar
• Yankees make upside play, sign former Rangers top prospect outfielder
• Michael Kay’s Anthony Volpe story will get Yankees fans amped for Opening Day
• No, Yankees should not acquire Trevor Bauer for 2023
• Yankees’ Marwin González replaces Red Sox LF in Japan in logical next step

Temper your expectations, folks. First of all, it’s not the Brian Cashman/ New Steinbrenners’ Way. They believe in age over beauty. While there are a lot of attractive pieces in the minor league system, the current Yankees’ regime is much more likely to trade off a youngster to acquire the likes of a Howie Kendrick than roll into battle with a Rob Refsnyder next season.

Remember, the Core Four movement was started by Stick Michael. Cashman and Joe Torre had the luxury of walking into what was prepared for them. The Yankees, once under Cashman’s power, stopped relying on youngsters. And when they did and hit on them (see Melky Cabrera, Alfonso Soriano and Robinson Cano) they traded them or let them walk for more veteran pieces.

Speaking of Rob Refsnyder, he is getting a lot of buzz around the organization as the possible second baseman of the 2015 New York Yankees. The same can be said about Bird and how all of a sudden many people think he is major league ready. Take a deep breathe and calm down. These two need time and do not need to be rushed. Especially since both have Major League-ready talent in the minors above them.

A few years back, Yankees’ fans were deceived by the team and media that the new wave of Yankees’ greats were ready to make a big jump in the farm system. Names like Tyler Austin, Slade Heathcott and Mason Williams were high atop the Yankees’ elite prospect lists and all have been questionable at best. That is why we need to see more from Ref and Bird before we so willingly promote them.

Plus, Jose Pirela is ready for the big leagues. He was the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders’ MVP last season. When Martin Prado went down with an injury, Pirela got his first shot at the majors. And man did he respond. It was only a seven-game window, but Pirela hit .333 while scoring six runs and driving in three. Let’s not forget, his big rally-starting hit is what made Derek Jeter’s last game in the Stadium so special.

Refsnyder is a project. The kid was a stud right fielder who won the College World Series MVP just two years ago. He had a great 2014 split between two levels and can probably hit at the Major League level, but he is a work in progress. Are we ready to hand second base over to a kid that has never seen MLB Spring Training and hasn’t even played three full years at second base in his life? Ref could be more useful in right field with that old hack Carlos Beltran out there, so to start the year in the minors isn’t the end of the world for Ref.

Bird is having a monster AFL season. He has had two stout back-to-back seasons on the farm as well. All of this has earned him the jump in the MiLB prospects list from Baseball America from 11th in the Yankees’ system to fourth over all on the farm. But let’s all take another collective deep breathe on this one.

Bird is merely 21-years-old. He has never even played at Triple-A. Kyle Roller has. I have been writing articles about how Roller should have been in the big leagues since July. He is a reliable bat who plays first base well. He is also older and a better fielder than Bird. Neither will knock Mark Teixeira out of the starting roster. So the bottom line is let Bird mature playing full-time in the minors, but let Roller be our back-up in the Bronx.

It is an exciting time for the Yankees in that we as fans actually have something to look forward to in our future. That doesn’t mean we need to rush them along, especially when we have able bodies in front of them. Ref, Bird, Judge, Severino and the rest of the talented young guns down on the farm will have their day. It’s simply not now.