Yankees Lineup Ideas for Joe Girardi to Use In 2017

Injuries, Underperformance and/or a Fire sale

Any one of these designations — or all three for that matter are a real possibility for this Yankees team. So let’s venture into a space we hope to not find ourselves in this season, but very well could.

1. Aaron Hicks (RF)
2. Didi Gregorius (SS)
3. Greg Bird (1B)
4. Gary Sanchez (C)
5. Clint Frazier (CF)
6. Tyler Austin (DH)
7. Gleyber Torres/Rob Refsnyder (2B)
8. Miguel Andujar (3B)
9. Dustin Fowler (LF)

Here I’ve shunned pitching matchups altogether and come up with a Baby Bombers-centric lineup that could come a lot sooner than 2018. For this lineup scenario, the following has happened: Ellsbury’s injured again — Gardner has been traded — as has Castro, Headley, Holliday, and Carter. Judge can’t hit the side of a barn… and oh yeah, Girardi’s been canned.

So let’s start at the top. Hicks was everyone’s punching bag until Carlos Beltran was traded and he finally got to prove that with some steady playing time that he actually has a bunch of tools that are valuable to a Major League club. Still only 27, Hicks has surprising power, can steal bases, plays wonderful defense and has a rocket for an arm. There’s a reason at one time he was a top prospect in the Twins organization.

Bird is fully healed from shoulder surgery and hitting like it’s 2015 all over again. Frazier and his new haircut finally get their chance in the Bronx. Austin is back from his extended stay at Scranton with improved defense. The Yankees call up top prospect Torres, even with his limited experience at second base. Refnsynder’s kept around as an insurance policy of sorts. Andujar gets a small window to prove to the Yankees they don’t need Manny Machado, and hidden gem Fowler brings his raw combination of speed, power, and defensive ability to the show.