New York Yankees: Should Starlin Castro Be in Long-Term Plans

Starlin Castro is having a unremarkable but okay year as the New York Yankees regular second baseman. But does he fit the mold for the type of team that the Yankees are trying to build, and if he doesn’t, what do the Yankees do with him?

Theo Epstein, the general manager of the Chicago Cubs is no dummy. The trade he worked with the New York Yankees sending Adam Warren to the Cubbies for Starlin Castro had been brewing for several months. One way or another Castro was going and Epstein was anxious to get it done so he could move on to signing his main target, Ben Zobrist.

When the Yankees balked at sending Brett Gardner to the Cubs, Epstein ended up taking Warren and Ryan Franklin, who would be released by the Cubs almost immediately following the trade. It’s instructive to remember too that the Yankees reacquainted themselves with Adam Warren in a deal again with the Cubs in July that sent Aroldis Chapman to Chicago.

All of which only means that Castro was sent packing by the Cubs for for a loaf of bread and a bag of peanuts. In the days following the December trade, Steve Rosenbloom would write in the Chicago Sun Times about Castro saying, “He could be electric. He could be exasperating. He could make All-Star plays. He could come off like he’s visiting Pluto”.

Here’s a clip of Al Leiter discussing the Starlin Castro deal. It’d be interesting to see if he’s still excited today…..

The Yankees now sit with a opportunity to completely change the brand of their team on the field. But while Castro fits nicely into the mold of the team getting younger (he’s only 26), is he a fit for the team in all those other ways that matter, including the previously reported on intangibles that count so much in the makeup of a successful major league ballplayer.

Thus far, Starlin Castro ‘s career has undertaken a downward spiral that is alarming when you consider what he was when he first came to the Cubs back in 2010. In fact, most would say he was the face of the Cubs during those early years when the Cubs were having one losing season after another.

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During his first three seasons, Castro averaged a .295 batting average. Over the last four years though, that average now has dipped to a very pedestrian .265 including his time with the Yankees this year. Moreover, his defense abilities probably were a significant reason behind the trade as well. Because, it seems That he has a propensity to make “stupid errors” where you just shake your head and say “Is he playing on the same field we are?”

At one point, Epstein publicly benched Castro. Watch here as Epstein explains why……

All of which only goes to show that the Yankees may have bought themselves another one of those back loaded contracts that is destined to bite them hard. Starlin Castro’s contract calls for him to be with the team for three more years, with an average salary of about $11 million per season. In 2020, the Yankees have a option to sign him for $19 million or to buy him out for $1 million.

The Yankees decision could be made easier if the highly touted Rob Refsnyder could see fit to give them no choice. But, so far in his 60 or so games with the Yankees, he has been less than remarkable making Castro their second baseman by default as Refsnyder struggles to find his way.