Looking Forward to the New Yankees Double Play Combination

When the Yankees acquired Starlin Castro from the Chicago Cubs on December 8, they found themselves the second baseman they had been so desperately craving.

Prior to Castro’s arrival in the Bronx, it seemed the Yankees were ready to move forward with the platoon of Dustin Ackley and Rob Refsnyder at second base. I have nothing against Ackley or Refsnyder, but neither of them are the type of high-level player Castro has already proven himself to be.

Castro is 25, a three-time All-Star, a career .281 hitter and is a good defensive second baseman. Despite his stolen base numbers diminishing in recent years, Castro has shown he does have the propensity to swipe bags. In 2012, he stole a career-best 25 bases.

In 2015, Castro finished with a .265 average, 11 home runs and 69 RBIs.

Joining Castro in the middle of the Yankees infield next season is Didi Gregorius in his sophomore Yankees season. After a painfully slow start to 2015, Gregorius became a key cog for a Yankees squad battling for a spot in the postseason.

After hitting just .234 prior to the All-Star break, Gregorius hit .294 in the second half. He finished the 2015 campaign with a .265 average, 9 home runs and 56 RBIs.

Gregorius even managed to get one of the Yankees three hits against Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel in last year’s American League Wild Card Game against the Houston Astros.

The addition of Castro, combined with the emergence of Gregorius as a quality everyday shortstop, has me excited to see what the new Yankees double play combination will do in 2016 and beyond.

I think it is fair to make the assumption that the Castro-Gregorius combination is not going to be a short-term solution for the Yankees. Like Castro, Gregorius is also 25. Both players are young and have plenty of good years of baseball ahead of them. With so many older and aging players across the Yankees roster, it is nice to see an influx of younger talent.

Defensively is where I see Castro and Gregorius shining. The duo are both talented in the field and will provide the Yankees with excellent range at both positions. With the quality of the Yankees starting pitching still up in the air, having defenders like Castro and Gregorius up the middle will certainly aide a pitching staff that will more than likely need the defensive help.

Both Castro and Gregorius will also provide the Yankees with stability. Since Robinson Cano left the Yankees for the Seattle Mariners in December 2013, second base has been arguably the team’s weakest position. Potential solutions to the problem like Brian Roberts and Stephen Drew both floundered miserably. Castro has all the tools, skills and talent to make second base at Yankee stadium his long-term home.

Last season, Gregorius was burdened with the impossible task of taking over for Derek Jeter at shortstop. While there is no way Gregorius will ever come close to replicating the type of success Jeter had, he certainly looks to be the type of player that can contribute for a number of years. Gregorius’ defensive prowess coupled with an improving offensive game certainly are positive signs for his future in pinstripes.

A strong middle infield tandem is something that has been missing from the Yankees in recent memory. It is refreshing to see the front office recognize this issue and address it in the manner in which they did. I am looking forward to watching Castro and Gregorius help the Yankees win games in 2016 and for years to come.