New York Yankees: Time to give up on Greg Bird?

Greg Bird gave New York Yankees fans hope as Mark Teixeira’s career came to a close. But the first baseman didn’t run with the opportunity. Now, his career may be on the line if he doesn’t show rapid improvement.

The New York Yankees have had difficulty finding a productive first baseman since Mark Teixeira was in his prime. Since Teixeira’s retirement, few first baseman have contributed well enough to secure a starting spot in consecutive seasons.

Greg Bird was supposed to be Tex’s protégé, acting as a reliable, stable starter after he retired. And during his first season in the bigs, he offered promising performances.

But since 2015, the 26-year-old has disappointed when he was healthy enough to play. The first baseman sported sub-.200 averages during both 2017 and 2018. Just three players in the MLB owned a worse average in 2018 compared to Bird.

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However, the left-handed slugger dominated Triple-A in both years. It was a small sample size though, considering he played a combined 19 games in the consecutive campaigns.

Yet Bird’s numbers in the minors provided enough hope to the front office to promote him and start him at times. He also delivered one of the more notable moments in 2017 when he smacked a home run off elite reliever Andrew Miller in the playoffs.

That moment represents what Yankees fans expected of Bird when he settled in the majors. But at this point, his resume likens to those of prospects that couldn’t perform in the majors.

Jon Singleton is a great example, as he was a tremendous in the Pacific Coast League. His career average in the majors was a paltry .171.

Bird’s numbers aren’t much better so far, although he has played several more games in his career – and hasn’t used performance-enhancing drugs. But at least in 2018, Bird struck out once in about every four at-bats, per FanGraphs. He also struggled more on the road, hitting .175.

Possibly Bird’s biggest issue is his durability. Even more concerning is the fact that his stretch off the field dealt with two major body parts in his throwing shoulder and his right ankle. The first baseman played in 163 games combined between the minors and MLB in 2017 and 2018.

Luke Voit’s ascension to the MLB also doesn’t help Bird’s case to stay on the current roster. New York acquired the 27-year-old and thrusted him into the starting lineup by mid-August. The former Cardinal responded by hitting .333 in August and September with 15 home runs.

However, other than Voit, the Yankees don’t have many other options at first. Per MLB.com’s top-30 prospect list, just one claims to play the infield position in Dermis Garcia.

And there aren’t any enticing free agents left with a respectable résumé. Lucas Duda is the only well-known option, but he wouldn’t really be worth a flier in 2019 unless general manager Brian Cashman becomes desperate.

Thus, Bird still has a chance to turn his career around. Surely, manager Aaron Boone will provide him with opportunities. He could surprise Yankees fans too, since he wields enough power to become a force in Yankee Stadium.

Still, if the former top prospect wants to develop into an everyday first baseman, he has to refine his contact skills and get on base more. And at his age, he’s running out of time.

New York Yankees fans are already losing patience with Bird. If he doesn’t perform, the front office likely will join the club and could be forced to demote – possibly trade – him.