Yankees: Four (More) Takeaways From Spring Training

Minor League Coaches Will Have Their Hands Full

Why is Alex Rodriguez being featured on a page that is devoted to coaches in the Yankees minor league system? Good question. And as you might guess, I have an answer for you.

The title that has been given to Rodriguez, at least for the 2017 season is Instructor. For that, the Yankees are fulfilling the final year of his contract and paying him $20 million.

As such, the Yankees would be wise to get their monies worth from Rodriguez by politely asking him to be a roving ambassador throughout their system this season.

It would be fair to say that both Pedrique and Franklin, as well as their staffs, will be operating above their pay-grade this season

Because those coaches are going to need all the help, they can get.

Rodriguez has already demonstrated his knack for working with the Baby Bombers, even though his stay in camp lasted only two days. One on one, there’s nobody better than A-Rod when it comes to talking baseball and sharing the ups and downs of his big league career.

The Yankees can still be mindful of his broadcasting commitments, but other than that, Rodriguez belongs to the Yankees this season.

Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes Barre manager, Al Pedrique, together with AA-Trenton manager Tony Franklin and their staffs need the help.

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They will be dealing with the likes of a few players like Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres, and James  Kaprielian who, arguably, are major league ready talents right now. Egos will need to be massaged because eventually, there are going to be call-ups due to injuries. Who gets the call and who gets passed over is something the coaches in the minors will need to reckon with.

Another group of Baby Bombers will also be wearing a minor league uniform, and these players have a way to go in their development, meaning they will need to be taught new skills while refining others.

Miguel Andujar, Billy McKinney, Jorge Mateo, Justus Sheffield, James Montgomery, as well as a full battalion of others will need the same and, possibly, more.

Where is the help going to come from? Because it would be fair to say that both Pedrique and Franklin, as well as their staffs, will be operating above their pay-grade this season and next year as well.

All of the Yankees recently retired players have earned more than enough money during their careers to be interested in consultant pay for a few days here and there. And none of them, Rodriguez aside, owe the Yankees anything.

David Cone and  Paul O’Neill both have jobs at YES. Maybe someone like Ron Guidry would be interested if the Yankees can take the hunting rifle out of his hands for a few days here and there.

Or, facetiously, they could in invite Goose Gossage in to give these young kids a whopping about the good ole’ days.

Yankees: Four Takeaways From Spring Training 2017 So Far

Already, we've seen enough of the Yankees in Spring Training to reach some conclusions about the state of the team and its players.

Seriously, though, it’s a problem that the Yankees need to reckon with. And they can’t just send these kids down there and say, “Go out and play.”