3 terrible center field options Yankees must avoid this offseason

It’s rough out here in these click-obtaining streets, mid-MLB lockout. I don’t blame any MLB writer for pitching any form of speculation, tossing it out to the sharks, and seeing what sticks.

That said, someone over at SNY opted to pitch five potential center field options for the New York Yankees this week. An interesting idea, considering Aaron Hicks remains unreliably healthy and his aging curve isn’t promising. Unfortunately, all five of these options are the absolute pits.

All three of the names mentioned in this article also cross over to the companion piece. It’s like when Kramer showed up on “Murphy Brown”!

To put it bluntly, the article posited a world where the Yankees were heavily into turning themselves into a 74-88 team as quickly as possible. Like, couldn’t get enough of it, actually. The masculine urge to ruin your life swiftly thanks to your own poor decisions.

Of the five names mentioned, Kevin Pillar would be a joyful supplement to the roster in some capacity. He wouldn’t be a Plan A or B, per se, but we wouldn’t rule out his arrival. Same with Billy Hamilton, who proved in a pinch last season that he could contribute to a contender when he helped fill a gap with the Chicago White Sox (0.4 WAR in 127 at-bats, a modest contribution at best). That’d have to be a minor-league deal, but we’d get used to it.

The other three names? Absolute last resorts. Should not be part of your hypothesis. Have regularly participated in baseball’s worst games these past several seasons. Do not sign. Do not examine. Do not accidentally peek at in the mirror.

These 3 center field options would fix next to nothing for the Yankees.

3. Jake Marisnick

Truly, Jake Marisnick would be the David Dellucci of our time.

Other than adding a traitorous Houston Astro to the roster who also isn’t good — 83 trash can bangs over a 58-game span in 2017, though he’s very sorry (!) — there’s really no downside to solving your center field depth chart with this exceedingly dull move.

Marisnick is also reportedly nicknamed “Big Fudge,” which must be a reference to the massiveness of the lie he told all through ’17 en route to being crowned champion.

Last season, Marisnick split time between the Cubs (94 OPS+) and the Padres (35) after making a 33 at-bat cameo for the Mets in 2020. His heyday in Houston certainly mattered, though he was always the easiest out in that exceptional lineup, but since that ’17 season (now tainted), he hasn’t been above-average at the plate in any campaign.

At best, Marisnick would be a platoon option on a middling team desperately hoping to flip him at the deadline for shreds to a contender looking to fill the 25th spot on their roster. There’s very little reason for the Yankees to try to solve their center field disparity this offseason by actively making the position picture more incomplete.

Why would Marisnick be a better option than, say, the recently-signed Ender Inciarte in a pinch, who’s better on defense and brings speed to the diamond that Marisnick can’t provide? He wouldn’t be. So … we move on?

1. Odubel Herrera

Yeah, sure, serrate my skin with a knife!

If the Yankees actually assess the 2021-22 free agent market and come away with Odubel Herrera, a suspended alleged domestic abuser who also, by the way isn’t a starting-caliber player (think: Domingo German!), that might be enough to get me to pack up the hats for a year. Big ol’ cardboard box. Shirseys, jerseys … if Hal Steinbrenner and Co. were to honestly examine the big picture and let Carlos Correa, Trevor Story, Corey Seager and Justin Verlander waltz away just to mail $5 million Herrera’s way, I’m out!

The 30-year-old Herrera resurfaced last season in Philadelphia, and the offensive-minded slugger posted a below-average 95 OPS+ in 124 games he probably shouldn’t have played in before seeing his club option declined this offseason.

This shouldn’t even be relevant — why is this discussion continuing? — but even during Herrera’s more ballyhooed offensive seasons before any accusations had been put forth, he was already an overrated player, posting OPS+ marks of 111 in his rookie year and 109 in his All-Star sophomore campaign, neither of which should’ve been enough to mask his erratic defense.

An overrated hitter on the wrong side of 30 who’s sloppy in the field and has all-caps CHARACTER CONCERNS? Yes, by all means, Yankees. Go ahead and add your Aaron Hicks contingency plan, someone who was very close to out of baseball during the shortened 2020 season, buried and forgotten with good reason.

Addressing this at all feels grimy. Advocating for it? Can’t imagine.

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