Yankees Daily Trade Deadline Profile: Rob Refsnyder

MLB’s non-waiver trade deadline is July 31st. As the New York Yankees appear to be in playoff contention, every day this month we will take a look at a player who could be involved in the Yankees’ deadline activity. These players will either be current Yankees who could be traded away or players from other organizations who New York could look to acquire for the playoff push.

The New York Yankees have started a youth movement that has fans excited about the future. There is one person in New York, however, that may not be quite as keen about the recent prospect promotions. These young kids may end up taking his job.

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 19: Carlos Beltran /

UTIL Rob Refsnyder, New York Yankees, Sell

There is a reason my father continues to mistakenly call Rob Refsnyder, “Refgardner.”

It is because Refsnyder has yet to do anything during his time in the Bronx to make my dad remember his name.

Rob Refsnyder is the definition of a fringe major leaguer.

The utility man has a career .241 average in the big leagues and has hit just .135 in 20 games this season. Comparatively, Refsnyder has a .294 career minor league average and has hit .309 in 34 games in 2017.

The man has clearly mastered the minor leagues but can’t seem to figure out major league pitching.

The disparity could be caused by a lack of consistent at-bats at the major league level, but Refsnyder may never get consistent ABs with the Yankees.

What’s worse for Refsnyder is that the Yankees seem to have already found his replacement.

When Refsnyder couldn’t hold down one specific position, he became a utility player to increase his value. In his major league career, he has played first base, third base, and both corner outfield positions on top of his natural second base position.

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Tyler Wade appears to be the new and improved Rob Refsnyder.

The Yankees’ 11th-best prospect has already played second base and both corner outfield spots in his first nine games in the big leagues.

Wade has struggled a bit at the plate, hitting just .107, but the Yankees seem to believe in this kid as they’ve been giving him regular at-bats.

New York has good reason to believe in Wade as he hit .313 in Triple-A this year before being called up.

The only thing that Refsnyder does that Wade can’t do is play first base. Joe Girardi, however, appears to be more confident in Austin Romine at first when Ji-Man Choi needs a rest instead of Refsnyder.

The Yankees also hope to have Tyler Austin back sometime this season and there is the possibility that they acquire a first baseman at the trade deadline.

Tyler Wade is better defensively and has more upside than Refsnyder offensively. Wade is also four years younger than Refsnyder.

However, Rob Refsnyder could be an intriguing player for another team when it comes to trade deadline negotiations.

Refsnyder has conquered the minor leagues and the Yankees have given him multiple chances with the big league club because they think he can hit in the major leagues.

A change of scenery could do Refsnyder a lot of good.

Brian Cashman can market Rob Refsnyder as a major league-ready hitter who needs a new team that will commit to giving him consistent at-bats and a permanent defensive position.

If Cashman can do that, Refsnyder could be used to bring back a rental first baseman such as Yonder Alonso or Lucas Duda.

Next: Yankees Daily Trade Deadline Profile: Justin Wilson

When Rob Refsnyder hit his first major league home run over the Green Monster at Fenway Park, I was excited for how his career would develop.

Unfortunately, Rob hasn’t done much since to prevent my dad from calling him “Refgardner.”

Refgardner…sorry Refsnyder…could use a trade to another ball club where he can impress a new fan base and make sure people remember his name.

Tomorrow we’ll take a look at another Yankee who could use a change of scenery.

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