New York Yankees have big hopes for Rob Refsnyder
The New York Yankees have had a history of trading prospects for veteran talent prior to the July 31 trade deadline.
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The team has had a series of aging players who were backup men in their career and thrust into the limelight in New York. Some of these second basemen have been Brendan Ryan, Brian Roberts, Stephen Drew and Kelly Johnson, to name a few. Roberts was injury prone during his time in New York and Drew, Ryan and Johnson shared the second base duties last season.
The first half of the season, the Yankees relied on Stephen Drew to play second base. Stephen Drew is hitting a pitiful .182 with 12 home runs and 25 RBI over the course of 247 at bats. That is disgraceful for the Yankees faithful attending games at the stadium.
In the middle of a weekend series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, the New York Yankees made a surprise roster move prior to a game. Rob Refsnyder, the Yankees’ prized second base prospect, was called up to the big club to man second base.
Refsnyder is 24 years old and early signs are that the Yankees envision him being the heir apparent to Cano. That’s a lot of pressure to thrust onto the youngster. Prior to his debut game Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said Refsnyder may not be with the club past the weekend series against the Red Sox.
Saturday July 11, 2015, may live in infamy in the career of Rob Refsnyder. In a 5-3 loss to the Red Sox, in his debut game, he went 0-for-3. In the next game, a Yankees 8-6 win over the Red Sox, Refsnyder went 2-for-4 with his first major league home run and cashed in 2 RBI.
Some New York Yankees fans may not be familiar with how Refsnyder fared with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Well, he hit seven home runs, drove in 37 RBI and stole 10 bases over 81 games. As great as those statistics are, his defensive work needs some improving. The Yankees are probably willing to accept Refsnyder’s defensive liabilities if he can produce better than Stephen Drew this year.
Given the fact that in his very early career, Refsnyder is 2-for-7, hitting .286 with a home run and 2 RBI already, he probably will ease Drew of the second base responsibilities.
Former shortstop great Derek Jeter was a prized prospect that the Yankees developed in their farm system. He stayed with the Yankees for his entire career and was considered one of the greatest shortstops in the game.
Robinson Cano, former Yankees second baseman, was also a prized prospect that the Yankees developed in their farm system. He signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners, prior to the start of the 2014 season. He signed in Seattle for a reported 10 year, $240 million contract. Cano burst onto the scene in 2005 in New York and built a solid career and reputation because of his time with the Yankees.
Jeter and Cano were fixtures up the middle of the infield. The 32-year-old Cano played in five All-Star games for the Yankees and won a World Series title in 2009 with the team. He was also a five-time Silver Slugger award winner and a Home Run Derby champion in 2011.
During the 2014 offseason, the team went to acquire Didi Gregorius from the Arizona Diamondbacks to replace Derek Jeter at shortstop. He has had some learning curves to overcome as well replacing the Yankees’ captain.
The Yankees may have an aging roster but somehow they consistently find themselves playing meaningful games in September. The fans of the team love it. However, the anti-Yankee fans keep hoping each season, with great anticipation, that the Yankees team will implode and finish in the basement.
It is obviously way too early to compare the play of Gregorius and Refsnyder to Jeter and Cano. Refsnyder only started playing in the majors this past weekend.
Gregorius made his debut in September of 2012 for the Cincinnati Reds. Whether Gregorius and Refsnyder can even come close to the statistics of Jeter and Cano, time will tell.
The Yankees appear to be on a youth movement with their middle infield. Say what you will about the way they handle their roster, they know how to improvise with their youngsters and scatter them in the lineup along with their elder statesmen.