Yankees SHOULD Make a Play at Asdrubal Cabrera

The off-season is in full swing and our own New York Yankees have made a few interesting moves. Francisco Cervelli was shipped to Pittsburgh to bulk up our bullpen with flame-throwing Justin Wilson. They also signed Jose De Paula, a left-handed starter, that should he make the big club will be used in relief. They haven’t addressed the infield yet, however, and that is somewhere they need to look.

My colleagues here at Yanks Go Yard have made some compelling cases as to why the Yankees should stand pat and re-sign Stephen Drew to be the next Yankees short stop (notice I didn’t say replacing Derek Jeter) and keep Brendan Ryan as the super utility back-up infielder. These aren’t bad ideas, but I think there may be a better option.

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My biggest problem with Drew is his health. If he could return to his 2010 form, he would be a steal. However, he is a high-priced commodity that has played 374 games since that 2010 season. That’s 93.5 games a season for a 31-year old and that’s scary.

Asdrubal Cabrera will cost the same but is two years younger. He also has averaged 144 games per year. The Yankees have had their fare share of injury woes over the past two seasons and I simply think that moving forward, the moves the Yanks make should semble some consistency.

Speaking of consistency, Cabrera is remarkably consistent. He isn’t the sexiest option available, but the Yankees have pieces in place. What they are looking for is a solid defender with a steady bat. Cabrera’s tenure in Cleveland was exactly that, nothing flashy, but steady.

He batted a respectable .270 over those eight seasons, with eleven home runs and 56 RBI a year. Defensively, he is not a Stephen Drew, but he is not far off. He has a career .974 fielding percentage while the league has a .973 average over the same span. If you are a Range Factor lover, he has a career 4.26 RF/game while the league has averaged 4.20/game during the same time.

Statistically speaking, Drew may look like he brings more to the table, but he also brings more risk. The short stops available this post season are nothing extraordinary, so do the Yankees settle for what they have or take a gamble on something new? Based on their performance the past two seasons, I am ready for a change.