Is It Time for the Yankees To Move Rob Refsnyder?

After years of struggling to find an everyday second baseman and platooning every available veteran in at second base, it appears as if the New York Yankees finally found their answer – and his name is NOT Rob Refsnyder.

Instead, the Yankees went out and acquired Starlin Castro, who will undoubtedly be the Yankees second base starter for the foreseeable future. So, now that Castro is here there are questions arising (once again) on what to do with second base prospect Rob Refsnyder.

The two options are clear, one is to stash him in the minors and only use him if Castro gets injured, and two (the more ideal one) is to cut ties and trade him for something of value… like starting pitching depth.

Refsnyder turned heads in his short time with the Yankees at the end of last season. He hit .302/.348/.512 in 43 at-bats with two home runs. He even played well enough to earn the start at second in the Yankees one-game wild card game against the Houston Astros. After gaining some recognition around the league and ranking in at 9th on the second base prospect list, Refsnyder has gained significant trade value, which is something Brian Cashman can use to his advantage.

Realistically the Yankees are a legit contender in the American League if they acquire another starting pitcher. That starting pitcher doesn’t even have to be a one, two, or three, starter. Instead, they need someone who can be a solid guy. Much like Nathan Eovaldi who was supposed to be that guy and turned into much more with a good coaching staff last season. The Yankees are not doing Refsnyder (and more importantly themselves) a favor by keeping him in Triple-A or having him as a backup option.

However, there’s another variable that plays into this situation, and one I don’t like. Brian Cashman has made it clear they’re gonna toy with Castro at third base and see how it goes. Obviously nothing is guaranteed, but I don’t like it to begin with. While I do see the positives of Castro giving Chase Headley some time off when needed, that could be done with another utility-player like Dustin Ackley or Pete Kozma, who the Yankees signed to a minor league deal earlier in the off-season.

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