Yankees: Which of these Baby Bombers will stick with the team

The Yankees, at some point, will see a return of the regular lineup players who are currently DL’d. A cascade of Baby Bombers has come up as temporary replacements. But is there a chance that one, or even more, could secure a place on the team permanently?

The Yankees have done a superb job in utilizing the depth within their organization to replace players who have hit the DL list. Each has an opportunity that, normally, would not have been possible until the September callups.

What each does with it may well determine their future status with the team for the remainder of this season. They’ll all get a chance to play over the next three to four weeks and one, or possibly even more, will give the Yankees something to think about when the regulars return.

From a fan’s perspective, there is nothing more exciting than to see a young kid come to take his first swings or make his first start in a major league uniform. We saw it earlier this season with Jordan Montgomery, and he has now emerged as one of the two most reliable starters.

Always, it seems, Aaron Hicks will be on the bubble when he returns from a hamstring injury. Starlin Castro, meanwhile, has his name engraved at second base and is having an All-Star season. Matt Holliday remains the tried and true veteran that the Yankees sorely need in the middle of the lineup as the DH, so what is left of the Baby Bombers when the Yankees get back to “normal?”

Will normal ever be normal

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Well, at this point, that’s hard to say. And the picture gets even further blurry when we see the July 31 trade deadline on the horizon that could further alter the Yankees 25-man active roster.

But just the same, let’s take a look at seeing which of the new crop of Yankees could stick with the team.

Right off the top, my pick would be Tyler Wade. He has been groomed to be the next Ben Zobrist jack-of-all-trades, and all indications are that he’s passed every test along the way.

Whether the Yankees can afford to keep Ronald Torreyes, who brings the same qualities to the team on the roster, remains a question that can only be answered later.

But without question, the Yankees want Wade to succeed. But at the same time, they also wanted Greg Bird to succeed, and we know how that’s been going.

Miguel Andujar was one of the last players sent down during Spring Training. He was in the running as a replacement for the then-injured Didi Gregorius but lost out to the veteran Torreyes. And while the Yankees may be looking at him as their third baseman in 2019 when Chase Headley‘s contract has expired, Andujar could force moving Headley before then, or even now.

Throw in the Manny Machado rumors about him being a lock to play in the backyard where he grew up when he becomes a free agent next year, and you have a real mess in the making for Brian Cashman to sort out, if Andujar produces at even half the rate he did last night (3-4 4 RBI).

Tyler Austin, at some point, appears to be a throwaway in a trade unless, like Aaron Judge, he can find a way to cut down on his propensity to strike out. But Dustin Fowler could surprise and pave the way for the Yankees to figure out a way of parting ways with Jacoby Ellsbury, even if it means Hal Steinbrenner reaching into his own deep pockets to make it happen.

Enter the wild card

Trades remain the wild card between now and August 1, and then the waiver deals kick in, and the merry-go-round of players continues until season’s end.

But for the moment, the Yankees as well as the players themselves, have an opportunity to determine their own fate with the newest crop of Baby Bombers ready to take the spotlight, putting a crux in the armor of Joe Girardi and Brian Cashman, who may be faced with making decisions they are not quite ready for.

No doubt, though, this is a rejuvenated team that will take the field in a couple of hours to face the White Sox before they board a plane to Houston to face, what many have said, is the best team in baseball today.

We’ll see about that as these unchallenged, but also unblemished, crop of rookies get their chance to don the Pinstripes as members of the New York Yankees, not only for the next few weeks but possibly well beyond.

Breaking News: Chris Carter is back with the Yankees

Chris Carter is back with the Yankees. He is not in the starting lineup tonight as Austin Romine gets the call there again. Both Tyler Wade and  Dustin Fowler are in the lineup with Luis Cessa making the start for the Yankees.