When RF Bobby Abreu signed with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim following the 2008 season the Yankees had a need in right field. They made a trade that went unnoticed by many of their fans, but the player they acquired to man right field has since developed into an All-Star.
1. Nick Swisher: Swisher will be the team's starting right fielder for the third season in a row and he's been a good player thus far, having back-to-back 29-homer seasons and being named to the American League All-Star team last season. He should focus on playing right field, but he'll be the team's number two option at first.
2. Andruw Jones: Jones was signed as a free agent months ago but only passed his physical recently. Last season with the Chicago White Sox Jones hit 19 homers and drove in 48 runs in 278 at-bats. He essentially will replace DH/LF Marcus Thames as the right handed outfielder off the bench. Last season Thames wound up being New York's everyday DH after DH Nick Johnson was lost to injury. There were always concerns over Thames' defense and he only played left field on a regular basis. When he filled in for CF Curtis Granderson Thames played left and LF Brett Gardner moved over to center field. Jones has won ten career Gold Glove Awards and is generally considered to be one of the greatest defensive outfielders of all time. He can play all three outfield positions and will likely get ample opportunity given the struggles of Granderson, Gardner, and Swisher against left handed pitchers. Jones may also spell DH Jorge Posada at times.
3. Justin Maxwell: Maxwell was acquired in a trade with the Washington Nationals this off season for a Minor League pitcher. He spent last season between Washington and Class AAA Syracuse. In his 104 at-bats in the Majors Maxwell only batted .144. He's a good defensive outfielder and will compete for a job on the Yankees bench but will probably be depth at AAA.
4. Greg Golson: Golson came over from the Minors from the Texas Rangers last season. He spent most of the season at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but was called up near the end of the season and was included on New York's postseason roster. He was used primarily as a defensive replacement but did manage to bat .261 in 23 at-bats. He could stick with the team as a fourth outfielder depending on whether or not the team uses Jones more for offense or defense. If not, he'll be in AAA again.
5. Daniel Brewer: Brewer is a speedster who batted .270 with 29 stolen bases last season at Trenton. He probably needs another year in the Minors, but he'll get a look in right in Spring Training and he'll be on call at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in case of an injury. Brewer is athletic and can cover a lot of ground in the outfield, but he has trouble tracking fly balls so he's probably not in contention for a fourth outfielder role.
6. Jordan Parraz: Parraz was claimed on waivers earlier this off season from the Boston Red Sox. Not that he spent much time in that organization; Boston acquired him this off season from Kansas City before losing him on waivers. The Yankees mark the fourth organization for Parraz, a minor league veteran (counting his time with Boston). Last year at AAA Omaha he batted .266 in 432 at-bats. He's probably only here for depth at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and he may not even stick with the organization after Spring Training. Parraz has decent speed but is a bad defensive outfielder and thus is not a strong candidate to win a fourth outfielder's role.
The Yankees look good in right field. Swisher was an All-Star in a weak year for the American League last season, but he's still a good source of power in the lineup. Jones should be a big bat off the bench and a stellar defender as well. Maxwell, Golson, and Parraz are veterans at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Brewer is an intriguing prospect at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre but probably needs another year in the Minors.
No comments:
Post a Comment