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New York Yankees: Would Starlin Castro be a great fit in the Bronx?

By Nathan McKenna

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Alright, quick disclaimer. This will most likely never come to fruition. However, its apparent the New York Yankees need offense. They can’t hit. Sure, its been one series and I hope, just like all Yankees fans, that it’s just that, one bad series. However, its unrealistic to expect players that haven’t hit above .280 in some time to begin again.

Mark Teixeira hasn’t hit above .260 since his first year as a Yankee. Now, I do believe he is valuable to this team because of his defensive alone, but offensively you can’t count on him.

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Jacoby Ellsbury has been unspectacular to this point. Unspectacular is probably an unfair word, but with a $153 million contract, expectations are high. His first year as a Yankee was a rocky one only hitting .271, but he did have 39 stolen bases and 16 home runs. There is hope for Ellsbury, now with Derek Jeter gone he can bat higher in the order which could lead to a higher average.

However, can the Yankees count on teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, or Carlos Beltran? Stephen Drew continues to be a baffling signing. Despite his cheap price tag, Drew still doesn’t seem worth it to me. Yes, his defense is great, but is that enough to justify a near automatic out in the order? With promising prospects in the system, including Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela, many fans, including myself, would rather go through some growing pains with a promising youngster than an aging time bomb at the plate.

So, all these problems. Is there a solution? What about a phone call to the Chicago Cubs for one Starlin Castro? Castro is a career .284 hitter and a 25-year-old with a bright future. There is no doubt that Castro’s bat would help the Yankees. Should the Yankees trade for Castro?

Castro has his warts as well. He is for lack of a better word a defensive liability. Castro has had at least 15 errors in each of his first 5 seasons in the majors. There is also the issue of where he would play. Playing him at shortstop would not be ideal, but there are two other options.

Option 1: Stick him in the outfield like the Boston Red Sox have done with Hanley Ramirez, another defensive catastrophe in the infield.

Option 2: Put him at second base. With Chase Headley, Didi Gregorius, and Teixeira all plus defenders could Castro be hidden at second base? I would sacrifice Drew’s defense for Castro’s bat any day of the week.

The only question remaining is compensation. The Cubs will expect a lot in return and rightfully so. What the Yankees would have to trade will likely impact where Castro would play.

What could Brian Cashman give up? It would be imperative to hold on to Aaron Judge, the Yankees top outfield and all-around prospect. Could a combination of a lower pitching prospect and Refsnyder do? Would the Yankees be willing to give up Gary Sanchez? I think anyone not named Luis Severino, Judge, or Greg Bird are expendable. Anything that would involve prospects or pitchers would likely place Castro at second base.

If Cashman wanted to go crazy and he is regretful of a previous contract, maybe he could swap Ellsbury for Castro. Castro could then play left field and shift Gardner back to center field. Clearly, this is incredibly unlikely and would most likely never happen.

The Yankees may target Castro or they may not, only time will tell. However, early readings of this team are: They aren’t going anywhere without a few more bats.

Next: Who is the best Yankee of all-time?

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