Time For the Yankees to Move On From Greg Bird
Greg Bird has become what I initially thought was impossible. Bird has now become the next Mark Teixeira and not in a good way. The oft-injured Bird seems to sprain, twist, pull, or break something just by stretching or taking a deep breath. After showing promise at the end of the 2015 season, Bird has struggled to stay on the field playing in just 94 games since being called up. That being said, I think it is time to move from Greg Bird because he not only clogs up a position on the field but also on the 40-man roster preventing first base prospects in the Yankees farm system from accelerating their development into major league ready players. This situation is also similar to when the Yankees justified the Nick Johnson signing by saying he "get on base", but you can't get on base when you're not healthy enough to even to take the field. It's just common sense people! The Yankees also have a habit of holding on to players the way Pudge Rodriguez held on to that ball in the 2003 NLDS. Some other examples include Phil Hughes and Michael Pineda. However, I wouldn't just propose this without having some solution to this dilemma.
The first name I think of is Tyler Austin, who has grown tremendously since being designated for assignment in 2015. His power numbers have gone up and, even when he was strictly coming off the bench, has found ways to contribute. Now that he is seeing semi-regular playing time, the Yankees should be able to better assess his potential. He also plays respectable defense. Maybe not to the caliber that Teixeira did, but good enough to justify making him an every day presence on the field and in the lineup.
The Yankees also have prospects in the system that could be big league ready in the next 1-2 years. Mike Ford is currently the first baseman at AAA-Scranton and is one of the more under-rated prospects in the Yankees stacked farm system. He was claimed in the Rule 5 draft by Seattle, but luckily came back after failing to make the opening day roster. The reason that Ford's stats don't jump off the page can be attributed to the pitcher-friendly dimensions of the home parks of Yankees farm teams. Having worked at Trenton for 5 seasons, I have seen first hand many baseballs that would have been home runs at Yankee Stadium get swallowed up by cavernous Arm&Hammer Park. However, Ford has shown he can handle the bat and play defense at a high level. Just as with many players that come through the Yankees system (e.g. Tyler Austin and Brett Gardner) he shoudl see his power numbers increase should he find his way to the Bronx.
Another prospect currently playing in the Yankees farm system this season is Ryan McBroom. The Yankees acquired McBroom from Toronto last season for Rob Refsnyder. McBroom is comparable to Ford and if he can begin to hit at a more consistent level he should see some time in the majors in September. His defense is equally as impressive. He has yet to make an error this season (yes its early) and made only 3 all of last season.
If for some reason the Yankees decide that none of these options suit their needs (which would be hard to believe) there are also some options in the upcoming free agent class. Justin Smoak is a name that immediately comes to mind. He has reinvented himself in Toronto and should see his power numbers sky rocket even more if he and the Yankees were to come to an agreement and have him bat with the short porch in right field of Yankee Stadium every day. He is also a switch hitter which provides extra lineup flexbility for Aaron Boone. This is all contingent upon Toronto not exercising their option on him which seems unlikely. In conclusion, after seeing how many options the Yankees have I hope they don't simply sit on their laurels and wait for Greg Bird to return to form. It's time for a change and that time is now!