Melkman 2.0 Decides Not To Deliver To The DR

(Courtesy of the AP)

It's been a strong start to Spring Training for Melky Mesa.  In just 16 plate appearances he's hit 2 home runs, stolen 2 bases, driven in 4 runs, showcased his athletic skills that make him a plus defensive player at all three outfield spots, and even drawn a walk.  That strong start may have led him to believe it was in his best interests to stick around in camp rather than leave to participate in the World Baseball Classic, and per Chad Jennings of LoHud that's exactly what he's going to do.

In Jennings' report, he mentions that the Yankees did not encourage Mesa to skip the WBC, and I don't see any reason why they would.  As long as guys are playing in the spring and getting regular reps, that's all that matters.  But in the same vein as Francisco Cervelli, Mesa probably saw the opportunity in front of him to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster after C-Grand went down and decided he stood a better chance of winning that spot by staying in camp and continuing to prove himself to the Yankee coaching staff.  That plan has worked very well for Cervelli so far, and if Mesa can continue to display his power and speed it could end up working for him as well.

My Melky Mesa Theory

(Can we get this kid some swings in a different set of pinstripes?  Courtesy of Paul Hasdall)

There wasn't much reaction to the Yankees calling up Melky Mesa on Monday.  With Mark Teixeira expected to miss 2 weeks and there being plenty of position player depth on the active roster, the move looked like nothing more than adding a warm insurance bench body to cover for the loss of Teix and rewarding an upper-level prospect with a long MiL history for a job well done in Double- and Triple-A this season.  That's pretty much how the move has played out so far, with Mesa staying glued to the bench over the past 2 games despite there being instances where his skill set could have helped, but I think there might be something more to this move.

Stick with me on this, because this theory is admittedly out of left field (or right).  It also operates under the assumption that the Yankees will make the postseason, an assumption that has become decidedly more gross since the Yankees started to morph into a baseball version of a beat up military platoon.  But it does make a little bit of sense, at least to me, if you consider it with an open mind.  Methinks that the Mesa promotion is more than just filling the bench during September, and it is actually the Yankees sneaky giving him the chance to audition for Andruw Jones' postseason roster spot.