Yankees hot stove highs and lows; acquire Wilson and Robinson

For all it’s splashy impact, the news of Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback Russell Wilson joining the Yankees for Spring Training was non-news.

No Yankees fan expects Russell Wilson, once upon a time second baseman, to take the field or wield a bat in a Spring Training game. But still, the news caused a ripple across the Yankee universe.

Wilson was first drafted out of high school by the Baltimore Orioles in the 2007 draft but decided to pursue football instead.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said of Wilson’s joining the club at Spring Training:

We are all looking forward to gaining insight into how he leads teammates toward a common goal, prepares on a daily basis for the rigors of his sport, and navigates the successes and failures of a season.”

Yankee fans barely had time to digest this news when the free agent signing of outfielder Shane Robinson was reported (cue the heavy sarcasm, but this is what the frozen tundra of the hot stove has done to me):

Robinson is a 33-year-old right-handed utility outfielder who has spent time with the Cardinals, Twins and Angels.

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Robinson was drafted by the Cards in the fifth-round of the 2006 draft out of Florida State University. In 2005, Robinson was named Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Year and had an impressive a 40-game hitting streak during the 2005 season.

For eight years Robinson toiled away in the Cardinal organization before being released by the in November of 2014. He then played one-year with the Minnesota Twins before electing free agency and signing with the Los Angeles Angels.

His offensive numbers were unspectacular across two seasons with the Angels: in 2016 he posted a .173/.257/.235 slash line in 65 games — and in 2017 posted a .194/.257/.194 slash line in 20 games.

However, Robinson is very versatile defensively. Of the 65 games he appeared in for the Angels in ’16, he played leftfield 34 times, centerfield 19 times, rightfield five times and was the designated hitter once.

Robinson could provide depth in an outfield already deep in candidates with Jacoby Ellsbury and Clint Frazier, just two names at the big league level waiting to find jobs.

Not to mention there’s Billy McKinney and Estevan Florial, who will also be in Spring Training vying for outfield jobs, though most likely at the minor league levels.

Next: Should Yanks bring back Eduardo Nunez?

Robinson will likely be assigned to the minor leagues for organizational depth.