The Pessimist’s Viewpoint On the 2017 Yankees

The Infield

Believe it or not, this is actually one of the current strengths of the club. Don’t get me wrong, this group comes with its own set of question marks, but it doesn’t have nearly as many as the outfield.

Behind the plate, the Yankees should be set for the next 10 years. Unless of course, the offseason emphasis the organization put on Sanchez to become the new face of the franchise has put him behind the eight ball.

Sanchez’s public relations team capitalized on his meteoric rise to fame when they made him a social media darling in 2016 with #IAMGARY. Soon there were T-shirts, bumper stickers, and Cashman branding him The Kraken. Didn’t Cashman give Chamberlain a cute nickname once upon a time? Oh yeah, Joba Rules. While that one may not have been unintentional, it did more harm than good.

I fear that if #YoSoyGary stumbles coming out of the gate, or only hits 25 home runs in 2017, fans and media alike will instead call him a bust.

How will Chase Headley and Starlin Castro react to reports that the club tried to trade them this winter to no avail? Both have been in the game long enough to know that trade rumors come with the territory. Players often react one of two ways — motivated to the point of forcing their current club to keep them because of improved play — or disenchanted, and therefore lackluster performances take shape before the players lose their jobs altogether. Luckily for Headley and Castro, the Yankees’ top infield prospects aren’t quite ready for “the show,” so they’ve got a little more time to prove their usefulness.

How much leeway does Greg Bird get if it takes some time for him to find his offensive groove? After missing the entire 2016 season due to shoulder surgery, Bird struggled to put consistent at-bats together in the Arizona Fall League. A decent enough first baseman with the glove, most thought fellow Baby Bomber Tyler Austin would be the man to challenge Bird for playing time this Spring. While that still may come to fruition, Austin will need to rake like never before to hold down a roster spot due to recent signing Chris Carter.

Carter is atrocious with the glove, but with only so many roster spots to go around, the slightest blip will cast someone down to Triple-A Scranton — and well, Austin has two remaining Minor League options. You’d think Austin has proven all he can with the bat at Triple-A (.323 BA, 13 HR, 49 RBIs, 57 games, 201 AB, 59 K in 2016).

How many more chances does Rob Refsnyder deserve before the organization realizes he isn’t part of the future core? A man without a position that is still with the team because he used to hit in the Minor Leagues (35 HR in 1805 ABs in the minors). How’s that for logic? For Refnsyder’s sake, I wish the Yankees would trade him. Perhaps elsewhere, he can settle into a low-key situation that is more conducive to his style of play — like San Diego or Arizona.

Depending on what transpires with Refsnyder, the only backup infielder worth keeping that isn’t a catcher is Ronald Torreyes. Ruben Tejada and Donovan Solano shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a Major League roster.