Starlin Castro Destined to Be Yankees’ Third Baseman?

The newest Yankee infielder, Starlin Castro, will be holding down the fort as the starting second baseman in 2016, but could a move to third be in his future?

The Yankees could end up using Rob Refsnyder as the backup third baseman but it seems as if Chase Headley‘s backup will be Castro this season. Manager Joe Girardi said that he’ll ask Castro in person whether he’s up for the job.

“I have not talked to him, and I wanted to talk to him face-to-face about the possibility of, what do we do if we need to give Chase a day off?”-Joe Girardi

Before I get into this, the back-up third base job is not going to stump the 2016 Yankees. Girardi has three second baseman and only one third baseman, and with the likely scenario that Refsnyder starts the year in AAA, Castro will likely fill that void.

He has experience on the left side of the infield (played shortstop for the Chicago Cubs), is commended for possessing incredible athleticism, and is known for having a plus arm. The only concern will be if his glove is good enough to handle the hot corner. He’s known for being inconsistent (especially at shortstop) with the glove, but like Girardi said: “That’s something that will be important when we get to spring training to talk about.”

I’m looking at the future.

While he’s definitely the starting second baseman, the talks about him being the backup third baseman in 2016 could potentially mean the Yankees are attempting to develop him to be the third base of the future. The question will be answered as Girardi will find out if he can or can’t play the position, but let’s assume he can.

The Yankees gave one of their most promising prospects, Jorge Mateo, some time working out at second base during Instructional League. The team isn’t giving up on Mateo as a shortstop, but if Didi Gregorius, whom the Yankees are very high on, can continue to produce like the second half of 2015, he’s clearly the shortstop of the present and near future.

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Cashman can either make a tough choice with Didi, or groom two very young, and very athletic infielders into other positions that I envision them succeeding in. Mateo’s hands are a little too nervous for short, meaning he rushes throws and some scouts say the 20-year old is more suited for second base.

So if Didi continues his sensational play, there will be no spot for Mateo (MLB ETA: 2017) when he arrives.

When Mateo is ready for the show and Castro proves he can play third effectively, the team could shift Headley to DH, Castro can slide over to third and Mateo will be called up to play second and pair up with Gregorius in the middle infield. Imagine that middle infield combo.

To justify Headly at DH, his highly anticipated defense at third declined significantly (25 errors in 2015), and he has one more year than Alex Rodriguez has on the books. So there will be a hole there after 2017. At that point Greg Bird will be the starting first baseman, too, so the Yankees could have one of the most impressive infields in baseball.

Related Story: How the 2016 Yankees Compare to a Pre-Dynasty Team

Brian Cashman was the only general manager to not sign a single major league free agent this off season. They made their moves via trade, thus being forced to rely on their youth, and Castro to contribute as much as possible in 2016 and for years to come.