Rob Refsnyder, Jose Pirela or Stephen Drew-What Should The Yankees Do?

The New York Yankees  starting lineup is relatively set. But one big question still remains- who will start at second base?

Reports that Stephen Drew secretly has the position all but sewn up are premature and senseless, despite the confidence Joe Girardi has expressed in him. ¨We didn’t sign him to struggle. We signed him to play at a very high level, and we expect that he will,” Girardi said, according to Lohud.com. [related category]

But if the Yankees are so confident in Drew, why did they only give him a one-year deal? If he is the long-term solution, why did he not get rewarded as such?

Giving Drew one year only shows that he really fits into the Yankees´ plans in one of two ways. Either he is there to mentor Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela, or he is an insurance policy until one of them is ready.

But both are showing this spring that their time is now. Through yesterday, Refsnyder was hitting ..375, with an on base percentage of .474. Meanwhile, Pirela was batting .450 with an OBP of .511. Now, a few at bats in a few spring training games certainly do not qualify as indisputable evidence that they are ready. But it is indication that they both getting close.

Refsnyder has long been considered one of the jewels of the organization. And Pirela has only carried over his strong showing when he came up late in 2014. He hit .375 in 16 games. Perhaps even more impressive is the excitement he creates on the base paths. His enthusiasm is reminiscent of a young Willie Randolph. Now, Pirela has admittedly looked shaky at times in the field, but the biggest cure for that is playing time.

In any case, the future lies in either Refsnyder or Pirela. Stephen Drew is not the the answer, nor will he make a significant contribution to a world series run. And he is already 31 years old. So the Yankees should move him out of the way and deal with the growing pains. Let the future begin.

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