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Nick Swisher May Be Ready to Move On

By Evan Halpine-Berger

Mar 19, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Nick Swisher (23) reacts to the catch made by New York Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (not pictured) during the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Nick Swisher (23) reacts to the catch made by New York Yankees center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury (not pictured) during the first inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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With his June 15th opt out date quickly approaching and the Yankees reluctant to give him a shot in the big leagues, Nick Swisher will soon have to decide whether to seek out a better opportunity with another club.

Swisher signed a minor league deal with New York back on April 13, a month after being released by the Braves. The 35-year-old first baseman hit .196/.312/.320 in 260 plate appearances split between Cleveland and Atlanta last season. His power, speed, and defensive abilities have all been sapped by multiple knee surgeries in recent years.

Things haven’t improved during Swisher’s first two months with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. He’s batted .234/.250/.344 in his first 160 PAs and his running can be painful to watch. It is very telling that Swisher hasn’t received a call to the big leagues, even after the Yankees have seen first basemen Mark Teixeira, Greg Bird, and Dustin Ackley all go down with injuries in 2016. Swisher isn’t even the fourth or fifth string option on the depth chart at this point, with Chris Parmelee and Rob Refsnyder recently getting the call ahead of him.

Related Story: Mark Teixeira to the 15-Day DL, Possibly Out for Season

Swisher recently told Dan Martin of the New York Post, “It’s frustrating to see guys get hurt and a lot of different people get called up and not be one of them. It’s like, ‘What do I have to do?’ And then you try to do too much. I just have to play better.”

In the last season of his four year $56 million contract he signed prior to the 2013 season, Swisher doesn’t appear to be doing this for a payday. “I just want to be on that field and hear that crowd again” Swisher explained to Martin.

It makes sense that Swisher would want to return to the site of the most successful years of his career. He hit .268/.367/.483 with 105 home runs during his four year stint in the Bronx and was an integral piece of the 2009 championship club. However, if he hasn’t gotten the call after all these injuries, it’s fair to ask if he wouldn’t be better served looking for a better opportunity elsewhere.

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