Yankees: There’s something funny going here with Greg Bird

The Yankees appear to have missed this blurb that appeared in Sports Illustrated over the weekend advising fantasy league players that”now is the time to grab Bird. You’d rather be too early than too late, especially if he proves to be one of the last available solutions at first base this season”. What’s going on here?

The Yankees, it would seem, are either being overly cautious or obtusely vague when it comes to a timetable that secures a place in their lineup for Greg Bird. And if timing is everything, it looks like Bird has picked the wrong time to get healthy, even if his production picks up.

The latest news on Bird came yesterday as reported by CBS Sports:

Manager Joe Girardi hinted Sunday that Bird (ankle) likely won’t be activated from the 10-day disabled list Monday, when the Yankees open a four-game series with the Angels in Anaheim, Mark Fischer of the Newark Star-Ledger reports. “Our people have determined that he’s not ready to come back yet,” Girardi said.

Usually, “our people” step up and identify themselves providing at least a little more background than “he’s just not ready.”

So, let me get this straight. Greg Bird is healthy enough to play in minor league games, risking further injury to his very delicate ankle, but he’s not healthy enough to wear the Pinstripes.

The Yankees have no use for Bird, and they surely have no reason to feel confidence in his ability to help them at this stage of his career.

Or, let me take another guess. Health is barely an issue at this stage, and the Yankees simply don’t like the way he’s swinging the bat, and they have no use for him in their lineup.

I’d pick the latter, but let’s remember that the word “savior” has been attached to Bird’s name for months now, and supposedly, the Yankees and most of their fans were counting the days when Chris Carter could be dumped, or at least given a permanent seat collecting dust on the team’s bench.

Back in the days of Spring Training when Bird was doing his imitation of Aaron Judge and hitting home runs every day, with one ultimately flying out of Steinbrenner Field, things looked mighty different. That was also when many of us thought that Brian Cashman had lost his mind when he signed Carter for $3.5 million.

Yankees Plan A gets upended

But then, the season began with Bird inheriting the job at first base with little or no competition or controversy. Except that Bird imploded barely managing to get one hit in every ten at-bats, while exhibiting none of the power that was evident only weeks before.

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In 2017, between the Yankees and two minor league rehab teams, Bird has about 110 at-bats with one home run and seven runs batted in. Chris Carter has about 150 at-bats with six home runs and 20 RBI. Your fantasy pick?

All things relative, if the Yankees weren’t rolling along as they are, things might look different. And a “shakeup” of the lineup would be in order.

But this lineup is doing its own shaking, so why introduce a new face to a team that’s long been functioning as a team?

The odd man out

And that would appear to be the crux of it at this stage of the season, with Bird being the odd man out, no matter how healthy he is, or how many home runs he hits at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

The Yankees have no use for Bird, and they surely have no reason to feel confidence in his ability to help them at this stage of his career.

All of which sounds like the potential for a deal with Bird as a marquee prospect sent to another team where a change of scenery might help his development.

Yankees: A look ahead at Monday’s amateur draft selections

The Yankees have a wealth of talent spread out through their farm system. Holes to fill will be hard to find. Nevertheless, the team will make the 54th pick

Timing is everything in baseball. And Bird’s time with the Yankees is rapidly running out. And maybe there’s nothing “funny” about his situation with the team at all, and the Yankees have a plan with Bird, and they’re simply letting it all play out.