Garrett Jones May Be The Most Important Part The Yankees/Marlins Trade

Yesterday’s trade caught me by surprise. I fully expected Martin Prado to be the second baseman/jack of all trades for an aging team. I get why they made the trade. Nathan Eovaldi has a ton of ability and if he ends up developing like Garrett Richards did last season, the Yankees could have a really effective rotation if others remain healthy.

However, Garrett Jones may end up being the most important part of the trade from a short-term 2015 perspective.

Jones finally gives the Yankees a true backup first baseman. No Kelly Johnson. No Brian McCann. No Chase Headley. Someone who has played first throughout his entire career can play there. Let’s face it, Mark Teixeira isn’t exactly the picture of health and will need his fair share of time off. Jones can in a pinch play right as well to move Carlos Beltran to DH or give him a day if they don’t want to use Chris Young.

Jones also means that Alex Rodriguez may not see as much time as you think at the DH spot. In his career against righties, Jones has hit .267 with a .811 OPS. It gives them another bat in case Rodriguez isn’t effective or just can’t do it anymore.

Looking at his spray chart per Fangraphs, Jones likes to pull the ball. At Yankee stadium, that could be advantageous.

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Eovaldi was the big prize in the trade, but adding Jones will be useful in the short-term. He may be playing more than you think in 2015.