Yankees Second Basemen

The Yankees are attempting to repeat as AL East Champions in 2012.  They want most of their team to remain intact, although some changes have been made.  One area that should remain intact in second base.

1.  Robinson Cano:  Cano had another monster season last year, batting .302 with 104 runs scored, 28 homers, and 118 runs batted in.  Cano will be 29 this season and his fielding showed minor improvement last season and the Yankees are expecting another strong season from him this year.

2.  Eduardo Nunez:  Nunez was slated to be the team's starting DH until DH/OF Andruw Jones was re-signed.  Now Nunez will revert to his more familiar role of a utility player.  He performed well last season both offensively and defensively, batting .265 with an amazing 22 stolen bases in only 309 at-bats.  Nunez won't get much time at second behind Cano, but he'll be there when the team needs him.

3.  Ramiro Pena:  The still-young Pena is trying to get back into the mix as a utility player with the club.  He looked like he had a good chance to win a job until Jones was re-signed and Nunez returned to a bench role.  Pena got some time in the Majors last season, primarily in September, and he didn't perform well, batting .100 in only 40 at-bats.  There sure isn't much room for him at second behind Cano and Nunez, and it looks like he'll probably return to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre again this season.

4.  Corban Joseph:  Joseph is a guy who has come through the Yankees system who they're looking at for second base.  He's nowhere near ready for the Majors yet and he's only in the conversation because the Yankees have opted to protect him from the Rule V Draft by placing him on the 40-man roster.  Joseph batted .277 in 499 at-bats at Trenton last season, although he struck out an alarming 104 times.  Joseph needs at least one more season in the Minors, although LeRoy wouldn't be too surprised to see him in September.

5.  David Adams:  Adams is another guy coming through the Yankees system who they're protecting from the Rule V Draft.  He was injured most of last season, batting .308 in only 52 at-bats at Tampa.  Adams will probably be back in Tampa to start the 2012 season, though he should end up at Trenton.  This guy's nowhere near ready for the Majors, and Yankees fans probably shouldn't expect to see him until sometime in 2014, and at the rate he's progressing he might never make it that far.

The Yankees look strong at second base.  Cano is a star in every sense of the word and is probably the best pure hitter on their team.  Nunez looks like he's going to be a great player in the future and is an excellent utility man at present.  Pena has been a good utility man in the past and is a good option to have at AAA.  Joseph and Adams are decent-looking players who could make an impact in the coming years.