What Should The New York Yankees Do With Rob Refsnyder?

Throughout 2015, and entering the offseason, the New York Yankees knew one of their biggest holes was at second base, where Stephen Drew, despite 17 home runs and solid defense, was definitely not the solution.  Many figured that the team would enter 2016 with a second base platoon of Rob Refsnyder and Dustin Ackley, but instead Brian Cashman traded for Starlin Castro, and Refsnyder’s role going forward is uncertain.

With Didi Gregorius locked in at shortstop, Castro will shift over to second base, giving the Yankees a young and talented middle infield, with great potential, going forward.  Gregorius and Castro will both only be 26 when the season begins, while Refsnyder will be 25, albeit with much less big league experience.

The Yankees could send Refsnyder back to AAA to develop a little more, with hopes of teaching him how to handle third base going forward, but after drafting him as an outfielder in 2012, he hasn’t shown enough defensive improvement at second base for the team to consider him big-league ready.  The idea of moving Refsnyder to third, while appealing due to a combination of Chase Headley‘s struggles and the Yankees shortage of third base prospects, is a hard one to buy into.

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Refsnyder could also be moved back to the outfield to further develop, as he played right field as recently as 2014, but that option seems just as unlikely, as the Yankees converted him to second base for a reason.  The organization didn’t feel comfortable with Refsnyder as an outfielder when they drafted him out of Arizona in 2012, and there is no reason to believe that their opinion has changed four years later.

A third unlikely option is that the Yankees allow Refsnyder to play at both third base and outfield in Spring Training, and let him battle with Ackley for a role as the utility option at the big league level.  Although Refsnyder showed his bat is ready for the major league level, the Yankees clearly have serious concerns about his defense, and it is unlikely for that to change during Spring Training.

That leaves two likely options for Refsnyder’s future as a Yankee: either they trade him, likely for pitching, or they keep him in AAA for second base depth, something they could use after trading Brendan Ryan and not bringing Drew back.

While many fans would hate to see Refsnyder traded, that seems like the most likely option, as Ackley can serve as the depth at second base.  The organization has searched for a pitching upgrade, and with Castro now in the fold at second base, Refsnyder has become more expendable.  If the right deal for a pitcher comes along, the Yankees would likely be more inclined to use Refsnyder, as his path to the majors is now blocked for the foreseeable future.

What do you think Yankees fans?  What should the Yankees do with Refsnyder?  Should he be traded, kept for depth, or once again be taught a new position?  Let us know in the comments below.

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