After being hit by a hard changeup, hit the ground, and subsequently hit the disabled list. The initial prognosis is a nondisplaced fifth metacarpal fracture. It means the bone is broken, but remained in the proper position. It also means, Rodriguez will likely be out for 6-8 weeks, as speculated after his experience with the same injury. Although there’s a chance the third baseman will be back by the end of the season, the Yankee’s recent moves in acquiring in the wake of ‘s season ending surgery, show that the team is not prepared to enter the dog days of August and September with a weaker team. The new playoff system creates a dangerous circumstance for the wild card teams, and despite the 7 game lead they hold for first place, it would appear the Yankees don’t want to take the chance of a one game playoff series.
The current roster replacements for Rodriguez include Eric Chavez and . Chavez’s strong season, an .818 OPS with strong defense, is certainly incentive to play the veteran more often, but his health is a limiting factor. His issues are so vast, it’s hard to determine where his current playing limit lies. Meanwhile, Jayson Nix’ hitting and defense has been questionable, and allowing him to cover for Alex Rodriguez would be a massive downgrade.
Other organizational candidates include , Eduardo Nunez, and . Laird makes the most sense as he’s spent the majority of 2012 at 3B, with passable defense, and is currently heating up. This July, Laird appears to have finally started hitting Triple-A pitching, producing a triple slash of .366/.422/.659 along with 3 doubles and 3 homeruns over the last 10 games. The second, but familiar option, is Nunez, who was only activated from the minor league disabled list on Monday, where the organization attempted to make him a permanent shortstop. Although they could flip flop on the matter, I don’t expect Nunez to see time with the Yankees unless needs a backup. Finally, Russell Branyan can hardly be considered a third baseman anymore, but he does have a history playing the hot corner, so there’s a slim chance the team could experiment with how his .311/.444/.656 minor league line looks in in the majors.
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Guess who I’m ending the article with. Yup, it’s . Maybe you’re getting tired of hearing about him, but the truth is that the guy is still vastly underrated. Headley’s plus defense at third means he’s one of the few options, outside of Eric Chavez, that can provide plus defense. His ability to play a corner outfield spot can’t be overlooked in the future either. On top of that, he might be the best .265/.360/.422 hitter in baseball. His home/away split in Petco has always been exaggerated, and this year he’s OPSing a strong .864 away, despite some of the vast parks in the NL West. As an arbitration eligible player under team control until the 2014 offseason, he fits into the Yankees’ budget plans. The only drawback here is cost, and the rumors are that the Padres’ asking price is huge. With Jedd Gyorko ready to take over third base, I expect the price to fall as the trade deadline approaches, but will it be low enough for the Yankees?
Chances are high that the team will try to use a Eric Chavez for now, with Brandon Laird waiting for some major league play time, but if Alex Rodriguez is truly out for the season, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team extend themselves in the trade market. For now, we’ll have to hope that the injury heals quickly, and that yet another player can step up this year. Tha Yankees have called up Ramiro Pena to provide some relief, but I don’t foresee this lasting too long. Brian Cashman has done a fine job of building depth throughout the organization, and while other teams are falling behind in playoff races with their stars sidelined, the Yankees have cruised along in 2012 with a bit of luck, but mostly planning. As a player in the Yankees organization, the major drawback is a limited ability to reach the majors with their star-studded lineup, but there are guys in the minors that have been waiting for this opportunity for their whole careers, it’s time for them to shine.
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7 Responses to How Will the Yankees Respond to Rodriguez’ DL Stint?
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Ramiro Pena? Really? Are the Yankees ever going to give Laird or any prospect the time of day?
Laird isn’t really all that much of a prospect. He didn’t make a single prospect list for us and even if you listed out all the way to 20, he still wouldn’t come close to consideration for the list. He’s a 25 year old hitting .249/.310/.408 in his third year in AAA. He’s a prospect like Shelley Duncan was a prospect, as in he’s a AAAA guy who has no real value to the organization long term or in trades. However it wouldn’t hurt to give him some occasional playing time until he proves his bat to what it is, not Major League quality.
I do like Headley but I really don’t see the Yankees matching the cost it’s going to require to get him. He’s undervalued to fans but I don’t see him as the kind of guy who is undervalued in front offices. Someone will pony up more prospects than we are willing to I would think.
I like Headley, I think if you put him in Yankee Stadium and take him away from Petco and in a better lineup he’s going to put up borderline superstar production and at a team friendly price.
Not only does he fill a huge hole for us right now, but we can slide him into RF next year as Swisher’s replacement.
I think Headley is worth giving up a top prospect for, and I hope the yanks do it.
Right now we don’t even know if A-Rod can come back this season, and even if he does he might not be 100% injuries like this can tend to linger.
This lineup can use a boost over the next 8 weeks and going into october and I think headley fits the bill.
The problem is that Headley hasn’t played the OF since 2009 and then it was LF. In addition, his defensive metrics for the OF are not good.
I wouldn’t be negative if the Yanks gave up good prospects to get a player with potential value for beyond this year, but I doubt Headley would be more than a rental. Of course, that being said, one thing to consider was the value the Yanks could get if they traded him in the off season. If that would approximate SD’s current asking price it might well be worth trading for him.
So are you giving up a package centered around Mason Williams? Because with Banuelos hurt I think you’d probably have to put together a package similar to Williams, Phelps, and Nunez. Though that may be a little lite depending on what another team offers, since there is a lack of upside in Phelps and Nunez and Williams is so far away.
I like Headley as well. The advantages of getting him go well beyond what he can give the Yankees this year. Let’s not lose site of the state goal of the Yankees ownership to get to the $189MM tax Threshold in 2014. Having Headley in the line up in both 2013 and 2014 gives the Yankees a much better chance of doing that. I like the idea of Headley.