New York Yankees: What a Shortened Season Means for Bench Players

The ongoing labor disputes between Major League Baseball and the Players Association seem to be never-ending, leaving a sour taste in the mouths of the people who appreciate the sport. If and when both sides can finalize their protocols, we know for a fact that the schedule will not consist of 162 baseball games, but rather 60 contests.

And while that does not seem like a viable number for the players who want to play, and for the fans who want to watch, the novel coronavirus has created limited options.

All along we have talked about the stars of the game, in regards to their finances. We want to see the stars play as many games as possible because these players are being paid to impress on every given night. But in a season full of unknowns, ownership does not want to pay these star players a full season’s worth of salary, hence the pro-rated salaries based ultimately on the number of games played.

But let us shift our focus away from the stars of the game for a couple of minutes and dissect what a shortened season means for the bench players of the New York Yankees.

In a perfect world, the likes of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, and the rest of the squadron who find themselves unhealthy at this time should be somewhat ready to go if and when baseball returns.

So let’s assume (and yes, I know the whole jingle with that term) that the starting lineup includes everyone that should be there.

With a shortened season, that means Yankee manager Aaron Boone will want to use his starters more often, limiting bench players to even fewer games, which can be detrimental to their ability to mature at the big league level.

The same can be said about players who find themselves in slumps, because every game is so much more crucial.

But that statement was answered in a piece by my colleague Brendan Azoff, which is definitely worth a read.

Players on the rise like Tyler Wade, stud Mike Ford, head-scratcher Clint Frazier, and Miguel Andujar (getting re-acclimated after injury) all were looking to take that next step in their career.

Shall we dive in? Yeah, we shall