The Yankee bench has been incredibly productive this year. We’ve all seen Andruw Jones, Eric Chavez, and Raul Ibanez hit as well or better than anyone could have expected of them. Nix, Wise, and Stewart haven’t been as good, but no one is complaining as long as the Yankees are in first place. During the regular season, its important to have versatile (on defense) guys like the latter three to play 9 innings at a position once or twice a week, and rest tired veterans. Once September hits, and the rosters expand, you can start to bring up more niche players. Into the playoffs, you can hold fewer versatile defensive guys and really hone in on guys who can hit.
Triple-A Empire State has two such players: Russell Branyan and Jack Cust. Both are aging former major league sluggers who can hit far above replacement level. Branyan is hitting .311/.444/.656 in 122 at bats, with 12 home runs, although he’s been sidelined with a pair of nagging injuries. Cust is hitting a slightly more modest, but still robust, .260/.401/.501 in 308 at bats, and has been healthy. Both left-handed hitters are big and slow, and both have accomplished track records at the major league level. And I think they could be secret weapons for the Yankees.
Branyan and Cust are horrible defensive players. Branyan is stuck at 1st base – where the Yankees are already filled up – and Cust may be worse than Raul Ibanez in left field. Given how useful the Yankee bench has been, it doesn’t make sense to keep them on the 25-man roster when Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez are handling the opportunities quite well. But if Brett Gardner does not return for the playoffs, and the Yankees don’t make any more moves, I think that there could be room on the postseason bench for one of the two.
The Yankees have their seven original position players. Assuming Brett Gardner stays out, that means you have two spots in the playoff lineup for two of Raul Ibanez, Andruw Jones, and Eric Chavez. Nix (or, I guess, Nunez) and Stewart (or, I guess, Romine) will almost definitely round out the bench, leaving the Yankees with some flexibility for the remaining spots. That current group represents 12 position players, and your typical playoff roster will have 13 or 14. The Yankees might want to include one pinch runner type, and one hitter. Although it would be nice to have a right-handed bench bat, Branyan and Cust are about as good as it gets for replacement bats.
In fact, the Yankees really should consider if they are better options than Raul Ibanez as a primary left-handed bat. For now, the Yankees need Ibanez in left field, even if he’s terrible out there. If Gardner returns, Ibanez would become a primary DH again. Despite the dramatic home runs, Ibanez is hitting just .242/.303/.463 on the season. I wouldn’t be shocked if either Cust – who is still an OBP machine – or Branyan – who can still hit for huge power – would be better hitters at this point. The Yankees shouldn’t mistake Ibanez’s clutch home runs for real value. Ibanez hurts them in very real ways by not getting on base, even if he makes up for it quite a bit with power.
To me, the biggest take away from this post is that the Yankees don’t need to add a bench bat at the trade deadline. I could see some justification for a Jayson Nix replacement, but with a 10 game lead, it probably isn’t worth giving up something significant for one. It still might be worth it to acquire a permanent option at left field, but only if its someone who will start most games against right-handed pitchers. Or they could just cross their fingers and hope Brett Gardner returns.
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15 Responses to Two Secret September Weapons Stashed Away At Triple-A
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I think you could definitely see one of these guys in October, when the Yankees can leave out from their playoff roster Freddy Garcia and the guy filling the Chad Qualls role from the bullpen.
I’ll never understand the need to have a billion crappy relievers in the playoffs. One garbage guy and that’s it.
It’s nice to have these guys stashed away as insurance for Ibanez but I don’t really see much of a role for either unless Ibanez gets hurt and they need a lefty dh bat. They don’t really have room for any more all hit/no field types and until pitchers hit in the WS (when pitchers hit), there aren’t a lot of Yankees that you would pinch hit for other than maybe the catcher. Even there, Giradi has let Martin hit in key spots rather than PH for him when there were seemingly better hitters on the bench. I agree with you that a rental bench bat doesn’t make sense as a trade deadline acquisition. I think if they acquire a LF that cost anything in terms of talent, it would have to be someone with a reasonable contract who could take over in RF next year.
What are the 2 nagging injuries Branyan has and why is it a secret?With the way Russell was g hitting i was hoping he’d be dealt to a big league club[Dodgers were interested in him for their lack of production at 1st base]instead of a Sept.call up that may never come.
Back and I think elbow. I could be wrong about the elbow though. He hasn’t played in 2 weeks.
I will say Romine is better than Turner overall, but I miss the spark and clubhouse feel Cervelli had. As far as left field, let’s definitely hope all is well with Gardner if start shopping your veteran bats and some minor ones for a Victorino or Casper Wells from Seattle.
What happened to ” good pitching wins Series and World Series”?
Not mutually exclusive.
Jack Cust, who views a baseball mitt as a foreign object, is best suited for a beer drinking softball league. Russell Branyon on the other hand, at least makes somewhat of an effort in the field ….even if subpar and would be the better choice for a roster spot if healthy. He seems to hit well at Yankee stadium also.
This article is the biggest waste of words I’ve ever seen. First the author says Branyon and Cust could be secret weapons (even though they’re not playing in the bigs). Then he says that both are busts defensively. Then he finishes with the Yankees don’t need to add bench bats. If they don’t have gloves and the Yankees don’t need their bats, what are they good for other than keeping the bench warmed? As if the Yankees need more over-aged, one dimensional players on the roster.
Yeah I know! What an asshole this author is. Man, if only he could read good.
I agree Cust. He can DH-PH against RH’s and LH’s.
I disagree Branyan. He is only good against RH’s.
I’ve watched Ibanez play LF some serious time this season. While Andruw Jones lacks the speed he once had in the OF, BOTH of them are still better on defense than some of the other options at Scranton.
PITCHING will always be the dominant force in the autumn stretch drive. Depth and effectiveness versus living and dying by the home run.
Ibanez and jones are more than capable to get the job done. Wise has proven value as well. Cust has zero value and should never have seen a major league field to begin with. When he plays the outfield, he constantly has that ” please God don’t hit the ball anywhere near me” look.
Really– the Yanks do not need more relics who cannot field and in (Cust , 200 K’ and Branyan 170K’s on average per full season do not put the bat on the ball in critical situations -there is already Arod, granderson , swisher and martin to hand those chores
Time to give the youngsters a chance or trade for a contact hitter not bring up guys we’ll watch fail when it matters