Yankees Left Fielder

When it became apparent that LF Johnny Damon was not going to be retained by the Yankees as his contract expired it looked to many that the Yankees would be without a left fielder.  As Spring Training approached, they had a fourth outfielder and a right handed pinch hitter set to split time in left.  Who knew that that formula would actually work?

1.  Brett Gardner:  Last season Gardner batted .277 with three home runs, 47 runs batted in and 47 stolen bases in 150 games.  He played primarily left field but also some time in center filling in for CF Curtis Granderson when he was on the disabled list.  Gardner is somewhat susceptible to left handed pitching and will sit in favor of more capable right handed bats at times.

2.  Colin Curtis:  Curtis played in 31 games last season filling in for the injured Granderson and serving as a fourth outfielder in the second half of the season.  Curtis only batted .186 and was mostly unimpressive during his time in the Majors.  He's not a top prospect and should not be treated as such, but he'll compete for a job on the bench in Spring Training though he'll likely find himself in AAA.

3.  Kevin Russo:  Another product of New York's thin Minor League system, Russo has never been a prospect but has performed sufficiently well enough to survive in the Yankees system.  A natural second baseman, manager Joe Girardi utilized Russo as a third baseman last season but he also saw quite a bit of playing time in left.  Russo batted .184 last season in 31 games and was unimpressive in just about all venues of play.  He'll battle for a job as a bench player.

4.  Brandon Laird:  Laird is a top prospect in the Yankees organization and is getting a look in Spring Training.  Laird's a top prospect for a reason.  Last season he blasted 25 homers and drove in 102 runs before being named the MVP of the Eastern League.  He needs another year in the Minors, but the Yankees are starting to get a look at the future after 3B Alex Rodriguez at third base.  A mid season trade for pitching would probably yield a big return for Laird, and the Yankees figure to be about dry by July.  With A-Rod entrenched at third, the Yankees are trying to convert Laird into a left fielder.

The Yankees figure to be pretty strong in left field.  Gardner's not a star, but he'll bat .280 and provide good speed on the base paths as either a lead off, number two, or number nine hitter.  Curtis and Russo are depth in AAA but neither of them are particularly strong, and Russo's a natural second baseman whose defense in left is suspect.  Laird's an intriguing prospect but he's blocked by both A-Rod and Gardner and is unproven in the outfield.

Here's how the Red Sox, Mets, and Yankees rank in left field:

1.  Red Sox:  Carl Crawford is the only star in this group.
2.  Yankees:  Gardner's an above average player but not a star.
3.  Mets:  Jason Bay has a bad injury history and may be in decline.