Empire Writes Back
Fansided

To Be True Contenders, it’s Time for the Yankees to Shake Things Up

By Alexander Evans

Mar 3, 2017; Dunedin, FL, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi (28) talk prior to their spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 3, 2017; Dunedin, FL, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi (28) talk prior to their spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Yankees are looking to make a gap in the AL East. Is a move needed in order to get the team some much needed separation?

The Yankees weren’t supposed to contend this season, and no one could’ve blamed them for not doing so. After all, with youth up and down the roster and a questionable starting rotation, the Bronx Bomber faithful had their eyes set on a championship come 2018 and 2019.

In baseball, one tends to expect the unexpected, and even the most devout Yankee fans couldn’t have predicted a first-place start almost midway through June.

What was a team keen on developing their young talent in the major leagues is now primed and ready to do whatever is necessary to stay in the playoff hunt.

With veterans such as Chase Headley, Chris Carter and Masahiro Tanaka struggling, the Yankees have no choice but to make some changes to reverse an 11-14 record since the team began the season at 21-9.

It’s time for a shake-up in the Bronx, and the talent is there at the Triple-A level to do just that.

Chance Adams, the Yankees’ top pitching prospect in their minor league system, is on the fast track to the pros. He was called up from Trenton a few weeks ago following a dominant 4-0 start in which he struck out 32 batters and had an ERA of 1.03.

Adams is 3-2 against much better hitters in Scranton Wilkes-Barre, but has an ERA of 2.17 while striking out 34 batters in 27 innings.

He may not be 100 percent ready, but Tanaka needs to skip a start, and if the Yankees don’t want to have a Bryan Mitchell or a Chad Green pitch in Tanaka’s place for at least his next start, Adams might be their best option.

He couldn’t be much worse than Tanaka’s been.

Both Chase Headley and Chris Carter have been solid defenders for the Yankees this season, but are absolute liabilities at the plate and have been for most of the year. After a productive month of

More from New York Yankees

April in which he had a .301 average and an OPS of .896, Headley hit for an abysmal .165 average and had a .446 OPS in May. He’s already off to a poor start in June with just a .158 average and a .358 OPS, and he simply looks lost at the plate.

There are two options the Yankees have down in Triple-A. The more popular one is Gleyber Torres, the young phenom who has the potential to be the game’s next great player. Unfortunately, he isn’t quite ready and hasn’t gotten enough experience in Scranton as of yet, which makes Tyler Wade a better option as a quick fix before Torres eventually gets called up later this season.

Wade, like Torres, is a short stop by nature, but has the versatility to play third base. So far this season, Wade has hit for a .300 average along with five home runs, 20 RBI and an OPS of .817.

He’s walked 22 times as well, and although these numbers aren’t staggering, it’s hard to believe that he could perform more poorly at the plate than Headley has for the past two months.

Next: New York Yankees: Could Sabathia be a Cy Young Candidate?

Chris Carter has failed to get in a groove ever since he became the full-time first baseman in Greg Bird’s absence. Carter’s batting average so far this season is at .183, and he’s only hit five home runs and drove in 15 runs in 115 at-bats.

He’s struck out 49 times as well and has become almost an automatic out because of it. Thankfully, Bird is scheduled to join the club shortly, and Carter should likewise be on his way out.

Brian Cashman and the Yankee front office have shown no interest in designating the struggling Carter for assignment, either because they still have faith in him or they want to have another option at first base in case Tyler Austin re-injures himself.

Austin is fresh off a 60-day DL stint and is up in Triple-A with 11 hits and a .297 average, and should be brought up to replace Carter right away and then serve as a back-up to Bird.

The Yankees understand that they’re contenders right now, but until they replace the struggling parts of their lineup with players who have more promise and who might simply be better at this point in their careers, they’ll never fully be all in on the 2017 season.

Home/New York Yankees