New York Yankees may have an answer at second base in Tampa Bay Rays Brad Miller
By Ben Miller
The New York Yankees should pull the trigger on acquiring Brad Miller from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Back in December, the New York Yankees made a big splash by trading for the NL reigning MVP Giancarlo Stanton from the salary-dumping Miami Marlins. The New York Yankees also acquired the remaining $295 Million on Stanton’s contract.
Given New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman’s stated desire to keep the New York Yankees payroll under the $197 Million luxury tax threshold for 2018 something had to give — and something did.
As part of the trade, the New York Yankees shipped 2017 AL All-Star 2nd baseman Starlin Castro and the remaining $37 Million of his contract to the Miami Marlins. The loss of Starlin Castro created a huge hole on the right side of the New York Yankees infield.
Enter current Tampa Bay Ray Brad Miller.
Why It Makes Sense
Coming out of spring training the New York Yankees named 23-year-old Tyler Wade, who our very own Benjamin Chase has ranked as MLB’s 10th best 2b prospect, their second baseman. The left-handed batting Tyler Wade hit just .155 in 30 games for the Yanks last year and is off to an abysmal start in 2018 hitting just .094 in 32 at bats. Wade’s slow start has the Yankee faithful clamoring for New York to replace him with 21-year-old Gleyber Torres.
Torres, who is ranked as the New York Yankees’ #1 prospect in 2018 by SB Nation, is tearing up the IL to the tune of .387/.412/.548 through 8 games with Scranton/Wilkes Barre. The problems with that thought process are Torres is one year removed from Tommy John surgery that cost him all of 2017. Additionally, he has played only 31 games at the AAA level.
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Brad Miller would bring stability to the Yankee infield and give both Wade and Torres time to develop into legitimate big league players. Miller belted 30 homers in 2016 for the Tampa Bay Rays.
He would bring left-handed power to a batting order already stacked on the right side with Stanton and Aaron Judge. Plus, at a salary of $4.5 million for 2018 and under team control through 2020 Miller is affordable.
Despite protests to the contrary, the Tampa Bay Rays are in rebuild mode. For a low revenue team like Tampa Bay, $4.5 million is a significant part of their payroll. Currently, Joey Wendell (who?) is manning second for the Tampa Bay Rays.
They also have youngsters Daniel Robertson and Christian Arroyo as well as former New York Yankees prospect Rob Refsnyder clamoring for their shot at the job. Brad Miller is expendable.
The Tampa Bay Rays proved last year when they traded Tim Beckham to the Baltimore Orioles that they are not afraid to trade within their division. A mid-level minor league prospect from the lower levels of the New York Yankees stacked farm system would probably be enough. to get the deal done.
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From the New York Yankees perspective, the cost in trade would be low. The Tampa Bay Rays would be happy to shed Brad Miller’s salary and New York would get a veteran player at a position of need. It just makes sense, which is probably why it will never happen.