Yankees MUST retain both Miguel Andujar and Luke Voit

Many pundits are suggesting that the Yankees should replace Luke Voit at first base and trade Miguel Andujar. Given their impressive play in 2018, the team would be incredibly shortsighted to do either.

I have been quite surprised that, given their outstanding performances last season, there have been so many calls for the Yankees to replace Luke Voit at first base and trade Miguel Andujar to another ball club. Analysts provide different rationales for removing each player from his present starting role with the Yanks.

Reasons offered for replacing Voit and trading Andujar

Among the “let’s get a new first baseman” camp, are those writers who want to see Bryce Harper in pinstripes next year if Manny Machado doesn’t sign with the Yanks. Because the Bombers have a crowded outfield, they think that Harper could be even though to play first base even though he has no experience playing the position.

There are also analysts that are enthralled with the power of Gary Sanchez but are doubtful he will ever learn to nuances of catching. Their solution: Let’s put Sanchez at first base so he wouldn’t have to block tough pitches on a regular basis, thereby preserving his bat in the lineup. Voit would become a good backup and keep the bench warm (or be traded).

More from Yanks Go Yard

Then there are the avid Greg Bird fans who still believe that he can be successful. These folks feel Bird hasn’t been given an opportunity to show his real value at first base, and especially in the batter’s box. They argue that injuries over time have negatively affected his performance and that he hasn’t gotten enough of a chance to play.

These pundits want to see Bird start at first base next season in order to watch him emerge as the star ballplayer he is destined to become. This too would mean that Voit sits on the bench when the 2019 season begins.

As far as trading Andujar is concerned, a common complaint by baseball writers is that he performed poorly in the field in his rookie season. These writers repeatedly cite the fact that he made 15 errors at third base and that his general lack of superior defense permitted too many runs to cross the plate.

Another group of commentators is convinced that the Yanks will sign Manny Machado, thereby making Andujar expendable. After all, Machado is already a proven star and is an excellent batter and fielder.

Thus, according to these commentators, the Yanks should trade Andujar, perhaps for a much-needed starting pitcher or setup man in the bullpen. Machado would then play third base when Didi Gregorius returns from Tommy John surgery.

The logic for keeping Voit at first base

Following the poor performance of Bird at first base over an extended period of time (his injuries notwithstanding), the Yankees obtained Voit from the St. Louis Cardinals towards the end of last season and gave him a chance to prove himself.

As I argued in a prior article, much to everyone’s surprise, he played phenomenally for the Yanks and helped the team make the playoffs.

Let’s look at his numbers. The 27-year-old Voit played 39 games and had 132 at-bats for the Bombers after arriving in New York. During the relatively short time he played for the Yanks, he hit 14 home runs and had 33 RBIs. Also, he had an impressive slash of .333/.405/1.095 (batting average/on-base percentage/sum of on-base percentage and slugging average).

Extrapolating these numbers, Voit has the real potential to hit 40 home runs, drive in over 100 runs, bat at least .300, and play an excellent first base in 2019.

Furthermore, he made only two errors in 270 innings at first base, resulting in a .991 fielding percentage. Quite impressive. He obviously had no problem adjusting to the confines of Yankee Stadium and living in stressful New York City.

These are Bryce Harper-like numbers (at least in the years Harper played well). Harper did not field well in the outfield this past season for the Nationals, and it would likely take him a long time to learn how to play first base.

How well Harper would fit in is anyone’s guess — and in my estimation, is not worth the $300 million-plus, eight to ten-year contract he’ll likely command.

In sharp contrast, Voit is highly affordable. His salary in 2018 was only $545,000, and he will make about the same amount in 2019 (earning a tiny fraction of what Harper would be paid). Voit isn’t eligible for arbitration until 2021, and won’t hit free agency until 2025.

Although I have truly enjoyed watching Bird’s graceful left-handed swing, overall, he has not hit the ball well during his many plate appearances as a Yankee. (He batted below .200 last year.) Clearly, it is time for the Yanks to unequivocally declare Voit the starting first baseman, trade Bird, and move on.

I feel the same way about Sanchez, as I do about Bird, despite the fact that the Yanks have expressed strong support for his continued play behind the plate. In my view, he, too, has been given numerous chances to perform well both at the plate and in the field, and sadly, has not come through for the majority of the time.

With unimproved defense and American League pitchers now knowing how to pitch to him and how to get him out, Sanchez has failed to adjust. There’s also no assurance he will be able to learn to play first base.

An argument for keeping Andujar at third base

The case for keeping Andujar at third base for the Yanks is even stronger. During the 2018 season, he had 573 at-bats, hit 27 home runs, and garnered 92 RBIs. Like Voit, his slash was solid, .297/.328/.855. His 47 doubles set a record for Yankees rookies, surpassing Joe DiMaggio’s 44 doubles in 1936, some 82 years ago! Maybe Andujar is another Machado in the making.

Equally remarkable, Andujar has a knock-your-sox off 91.8 percent contact when swinging at pitches in the strike zone, among the highest in baseball. Overall, he was rock-solid consistent at the plate throughout the entire season. He also had a number of essential clutch hits.

In recognition of his achievements, the 23-year-old was named AL Rookie of the Month in June and again in August. He came in second place in the vote by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America for American League ROY (the Jackie Robinson Award) to Shohei Ohtani. Many analysts, including myself, believe that Andujar and not Ohtani should have won the award.

Since 1946 the Sporting News has also selected ROYs in MLB. Recently, a panel of 99 American League baseball players, exhibiting far more sense than the Baseball Writers’ Association, overwhelmingly chose Andujar as the American League ROY. He received 61 votes. Ohtani, in contrast, only received 19 votes, which says a lot since it was fellow players voting for ROY and not writers.

As I maintained in a previous piece, Andujar was the top rookie in the American League as well as the most valuable player on the Yankees in 2018.

However, many pundits have criticized his fielding at third base, and with good reason. During the season he made 15 errors and had a minus 25 RDRS (i.e., the number of runs above or below average the player was worth based on the number of plays made). However, he is quite young and this was his first year in the big leagues. Shouldn’t pundits cut him some slack?

Given his work habits and overall professional dedication, he is bound to improve his defense next year and beyond. Alex Rodriguez is already working with him to ramp up his fielding.

By the way, Oakland’s Matt Chapman, who in his second year in the big leagues won a Fielding Bible Award, Gold Glove Award, Platinum Glove Award, and Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award, made 20 errors — and Seattle’s Kyle Seager (in his eighth year in MLB baseball) made 14 errors at third base, this past season.

Furthermore, Rafael Devers committed an eye-popping 24 errors and the Astros’ Alex Bregman committed 16 errors (13 at third base and three at shortstop) in ’18. This data places the 15 errors Andujar made as a rookie in perspective.

Similar to Voit, Andujar made $545,800 in 2018 and will receive about the same amount in ’19. He won’t be arbitration eligible until 2021, and he won’t become a free agent until 2024. Andujar is quite affordable and will be for a number of years to come.

Of course, if the Yankees sign Machado, the question then becomes, should the Yanks keep Andujar if the plan is to play Machado at third base? Another possibility, which is seldom mentioned, is to trade Didi Gregorius, who will be 28-years-old in about a month — and a free agent in 2020.

In doing so, the Yanks could trade Gregorius for a top-flight starting pitcher or bullpen ace before he becomes a free agent. The team could then retain and start Andujar at third base and have Machado play shortstop, again provided that Machado becomes a Bomber.

In sum, given the superb play of Voit and Andujar last season, their relatively small salaries, and their overall potential to become future superstars, it would be stupid to reduce their roles on the club in 2019.

Critics who are recommending that the Yanks replace Voit and Andujar in the field need to stick their heads in a steel bucket of cold water and get in touch with reality. The Bombers’ brass should have their own heads examined if they exclude these up-and-coming players from the starting lineup next season.

Home/Yankees News