Position Players Report Date Prepper 2014: The Outfield

(Courtesy of Mark Feinsand)

Hey, how about that?  I'm actually getting the final ST prep post out before the players show up to camp.  Today is the final day before all position players are expected to report to Yankee camp and it's also the final day of this "Report Date Prepper" series.  Just like the infielders, there are already some outfielders who've arrived in Tampa, most notably new right fielder Carlos Beltran.  Get up to speed on him and the rest of his outfield brethren after the jump.

What's Ichiro Going To Do This Year?

(Courtesy of the AP)

(Originally published at IIATMS/TYA)

I don't mean in terms of production.  That I can already anticipate.  Every projection system out there has Ichiro Suzuki pegged as a below-average hitter again this year, hardly a shock when you consider his .281 wOBA last year and the age at which he'll play this season (40).  The title of the post is more in reference to how Joe plans on using Ichiro this season and how much he plans on using him.

Where Does Zoilo Fit In Now?

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

It was an up and down 2013 for Zoilo Almonte.  He hit .297/.369/.421 (.361 wOBA) in 293 Triple-A plate appearances in his first experience at the level, showing improved plate discipline and on-base skills that had yet to be part of his offensive repertoire.  When the barrage of injuries struck the Major League club, he got called up to the show in the summer and the results weren't nearly as good, .236/.274/.302 (.257 wOBA) in 113 PA.

A hamstring injury ended his season early, but he's picked it up back in the Dominican Winter League this offseason.  If you haven't been following the comings and goings of that league closely, and I don't blame you if you haven't, Zoilo has hit .316/.343/.454 out there and has seen time at all 3 outfield positions.  What does that mean as far as his Major League standing for 2014 goes?  Probably not much.  Almonte has hit in this league before, and with the new acquisitions made by the Yankees to upgrade their outfield it's not a stretch to say he's the 7th outfielder on the 40-man right now behind Ellsbury, Beltran, Gardner, Soriano, Ichiro, and Wells.

Who Wants An Outfielder?

The Yankees said they weren't going to trade Brett Gardner after the Ellsbury signing, but with Carlos Beltran now in the mix as well it sounds like that plan is changing.  Andy McCullough reported yesterday that the Yankees are receiving "significant interest" in Brett Gardner and are at least willing to listen to offers for him.  Chad Jennings reported the same on Gardner and also reported that the Yankees are actively shopping Ichiro Suzuki, who's basically become the 5th outfielder at this point.

It's unclear what the Yankees would be looking to get back or could get back for either of these guys.  I have to think it wouldn't be much for Ichiro and less than it could be for Gardner because he's a year away from free agency.  Still, with as much outfield depth as they've accumulated this week it makes sense that the Yankees would go this route.  They have a ton of roster holes to fill and if one of these players can be used to help that effort that's probably the best way to get value out of them.  Personally, I'd trade Ichiro for a bag of balls and a souvenir soda cup if I could get that back and I'd hold onto Gardner.  With the 40-man roster completely full again, maybe one of them becomes part of a package deal for some starting pitching.  Just a thought...

Wednesday Morning Food For Thought

(Courtesy of Getty Images)

Jacoby Ellsbury is a passed physical away from becoming the starting center fielder for the Yankees.  The team has stated they have no intention of trading Brett Gardner and the assumption if they don't is that he'll shift back to left field in 2014.  With Ichiro Suzuki in right, that would give the Yankees arguably the best defensive starting outfield in baseball.

But what if they don't keep Ichiro in right?  What if the addition of Ellsbury signals that Ichiro is now expendable and possibly tradeable?  The Yankees have 2 left-handed speed OFers now in Ellsbury and Gardner, they have 2 righties in Soriano and Wells, and they have switch-hitting Zoilo around for further bench depth.  If there's any kind of market out there for Ichiro, which is not to say there is or should be based on his last 2 years of production, the Yankees could try to move him and at least some of his salary and go with Soriano as the right fielder/part time DH.

There are still moves that can be made before that to help manage 40-man roster issues as the Yankees continue to add pieces, but it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Ichiro get shopped around, if for no other reason than to see if there's any interest out there.

The Vernon Wells Trade Spits In The Face Of Everybody And Everything

(Courtesy of John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated)

Barring some magical injury that gets discovered during his physical, Vernon Wells is going to become a Yankee today.  His locker is cleaned out in LA, the money has been agreed upon, and all that's left is identifying the MiL player the Yankees will send to Anaheim to complete the trade.  As I stated on IIATMS/TYA earlier this morning, this isn't exactly the darkest timeline for the Yankees, but it's pretty damn close.

I wrote about the idea of trading for Wells back in December, when it was rumored that the Yanks and Angels had discussed a deal during the Winter Meetings.  The conclusion I came to was that trading for Wells would be an absolute "hell no" scenario and believe it or not, that stance hasn't changed in the last three months.  Wells still doesn't hit for average or much power, still doesn't walk, still doesn't have an encouraging platoon split, and is still a 34-year-old outfielder with rapidly declining skills.  The only way I would have been comfortable with a trade was if Anaheim agreed to eat almost all of the $42 million remaining on Wells' contract.  Last night's reports of the Angels agreeing to take on $29 mil of the remaining 42 are nowhere near the number I had in mind and only make this trade more confusing.

Ironing Out The (Admittedly Minor) Outfield Overcrowding Problem

Before Spring Training started, I wrote this post on the potentially problematic position the Yankees found themselves in with respect to their outfield depth.  The combination of returning Major Leaguers, free agent signings, and prospect promotions had left them with too many able-bodied outfielders and not enough playing time for each.  Too much depth at any one position is always a better problem to have than not enough, and the Yankees owed it to themselves to investigate every possible outfield candidate to strengthen their platoon-heavy bench this season.  They also owed it to themselves to make sure that their best OF prospects were getting regular playing time at the appropriate level, and this is where the problem could have started.

Yanks Sign Brennan Boesch

I don't get this move.  I really don't.  Brennan Boesch doesn't profile as the type of hitter that fits the Yankee system in any way, and he's not a run saver on defense.  I know the outfield competition in camp wasn't full of blue chippers, but there isn't anything that Boesch does better than anybody who was already on the Yankee ST roster.  He was released by Detroit for a reason and the Yankees chose to not only sign him, but to sign him to a guaranteed Major League deal worth $1.5 million plus incentives that will require them to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.

More thoughts after the jump.

Three Reasons To Pass On Brennan Boesch

(Courtesy of Detroit News)

The Tigers released outfielder Brennan Boesch this morning, and in their never-ending quest to add every replacement level outfielder available the Yankees have already been connected to him.  Boesch is a good fit on paper- 27 years old, lefty swinger with power, can play both outfield corners- but a more detailed look into his statistical breakdown raises some red flags, three to be exact.

Yanks Sign Ben Francisco To MiL Deal

It's not a head-turner, not unlike every other Yankee signing this offseason, but they did add another piece to their outfield competition puzzle today by signing free agent outfielder Ben Francisco to a MiL deal after he was released earlier in the day by the Indians.

I profiled Francisco back on December 1st as part of the list of non-tender guys I thought the Yanks might target, and the profile hasn't changed since then.  Francisco is still a field-first player whose offensive output has dwindled significantly in the last few years.  His career numbers still look good as a part-time option, but recently he's offered very little by way of power or on-base skills.  For what it's worth, Francisco was 8-20 with Cleveland so far this spring before being released with more walks than strikeouts.

Rooting For Ronnier Mustelier

Ronnier Mustelier is one of the more interesting free agents the Yankees have signed in the past few years.  He's a Cuban defector, but came with little fanfare as a 26-year-old signee, something that hasn't been the norm for the Yankees when they've dipped into the Cuban market in the past.  He doesn't look like a traditional baseball player, short and stocky, yet he's played all around the infield and outfield and has done nothing but hit since entering the Yankee MiL system in 2011.  I've always kept an eye on Mustelier, but after reading Mark Feinsand's short profile piece on him yesterday, I'm officially a Ronnier Mustelier fan.

In the post, Feinsand gets a couple of great quotes from Mustelier on his efforts to make the Major League roster this spring.  Feinsand also mentions that Mustelier's family, including his young son, are back in Cuba and that he hasn't seen his son for four months.  That's something I didn't know and something that makes Mustelier's situation even more intriguing.  He comes across as determined but humble in the article, and his entire story is borderline worthy of being the next Disney "overcoming the odds"-type sports movie- a young, unknown, Cuban baseball player leaves his family and son behind to chase his dream of playing Major League baseball, then works his way through the entire Minor Leagues in two years to earn an opportunity to win a spot on the New York Yankees.  That's good stuff right there.

Despite a strong start to his spring (3-6 w/ a HR), Mustelier is a very long longshot to win a roster spot.  At best right now, he probably sits 5th in the outfielder competition behind Rivera, Diaz, Mesa, and Zoilo Almonte.  But the Yanks didn't move him through the system that quickly and invite him to ST just to let him rot.  If Mustelier keeps producing and another opportunity presents itself, he could find his way into pinstripes this year.

Johnny Damon? No Thanks

As part of the MLB-wide reaction to the Curtis Granderson injury, Johnny Damon's name popped up yesterday as a possible cheap stopgap option.  Damon himself spoke at length about his desire to return to the Yankees and his willingness to work around their needs as a temporary player:

“You guys know that I would have tons of interest to go to New York.  But I just don’t think they would be interested.  They have had plenty of opportunities and I kept raising my hand, wanting to go back and, you know, hopefully it would be a perfect fit. It always had been. Have me for six weeks and then send me off on my merry way. That’s fine.”

Damon's interest in returning to New York has been a yearly offseason topic of discussion for him, but as he said, the feeling hasn't been mutual from the Yankees' side.  A year or two ago he would have made sense as a 4th outfielder, but based on his recent performance I don't think that argument still holds.  Damon hit just .222/.281/.329 (.271 wOBA) in 224 PA for Cleveland last year before being cut, with his lowest BB rate since 1996.  He's been on a rapid decline since leaving the Yankees after the '09 season, and even though he still rates positively as a defensive outfielder, it would be a stretch to say he's a better offensive option than the collection of guys already in-house who have to step up and cover for the loss of C-Grand.

So sorry, John.  You'll always have a place in Yankee history, and I know I'll never forget the double stolen base in Game 4 of the '09 World Series, but you just don't cut the mustard anymore.

2013 Spring Training Roster Battles: 4th Outfielder

(Failboat... Courtesy of Getty Images)

The departure of Nick Swisher and the re-upping with Ichiro Suzuki has left the Yankees with an all-lefty starting outfield for 2013.  That's not the worst thing in the world considering the benefits of having 81 games at home for those guys to swing for the short porch in right field (well, maybe not for Gardner) and the fact that most pitchers are still right-handed.  But it does create a greater need for a useful, right-handed 4th outfielder on the bench.  Andruw Jones filled that role for the previous two seasons, with varying levels of success, and as part of the early payroll crunching plans the Yankees decided to stay cheap and low-risk in their search for his replacement rather than trading away prospects for someone like Michael Morse.  The added internal MiL candidates for the job makes depth a non-issue, but how do all of these guys shake out in the competition hierarchy now that we know who has opt-out clauses?

Possible Overcrowding In The Outfield

(Don't forget about this guy.  Courtesy of Kim Klement/US Presswire)

It dawned on me this past weekend, while doing take 2 of my final roster spot predictions, that the Yankees have supplied themselves with more than enough outfield fodder for the 2013 season.  There's not much high-ceiling talent in that collection of added players, but I'd go so far as to say they might have actually put themselves in a position where they have too many outfielders in the upper levels of the organization.  Now that's not the worst problem in the world to have when you're entering this season replacing last year's productive, 2-way, switch-hitting right fielder with a soon to be 40-year-old slap-hitting lefty, but it is something that the decision makers in both the Minor and Major League levels should be cognizant of and should make an effort to address in the appropriate manner.

Don't Sleep On C-Dick

While the Yankees continue to be connected to every outfielder who could conceivably be considered available right now, and go through the process of considering the variables associated with each, there's an in-house outfield option flying under the radar right now.  With the way he's been performing of late, he probably deserves at least a blip or two on the radar.

I'm talking about AB4AR favorite Chris Dickerson, AKA C. Diddy, AKA C-Dick.  He missed a lot of time early in the season with injuries, but since coming back he has posted a .281/.377/.451 slash line in 183 PA for Triple-A Empire State, good for a .380 wOBA.  He's been on a quiet tear in the last week too, with 11 H (3 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR), 10 R scored, and 6 BB in 37 PA.

Granted his production has been against lesser competition, and C-Dick has never shown a real ability to replicate his MiL success in the Majors, but he possesses a similar skill set to Gardner (takes walks, speed on the basepaths, plays above-average outfield defense) and could conceivably replicate what Gardner brings to the table if used properly.  The Yankees also wouldn't have to give up anything to add him to the 25-man roster, something that can't be said for the Shanes Victorino or Justins Upton of the world.

Just sayin'...

** UPDATE- 10:47PM- Just kiddin'... **

Outfield Options: External

(Would you trade for this guy?  Courtesy of The AP)

I snapped to attention yesterday after finding out Nick Swisher left the game with a quad injury and looked at what internal moves the Yankees could make to cover themselves if Swish had to miss some time.  He's out of the lineup today, but the bone bruise to the quad doesn't seem like something that's going to keep him out for very long at all.  Still, it can't hurt to finish this exploration into potential OF replacements out, what with Brett Gardner still out for another month and the possibility of more injuries always looming.  If the Yankees do end up needing to look to the trade market to plug an outfield gap, here are some names that could draw their interest.

Outfield Options: Internal

(The cause for concern.  Courtesy of Getty Images)

Multiple reporters were quick to confirm that the Yankees were not in the market for an outfielder after Thursday's official re-diagnosis of Brett Gardner's elbow injury.  With Gardner only expected to be out for another 3-4 weeks, and Raul Ibanez and Andruw Jones doing a good job of holding down the fort in left for the time being, there really wasn't much of a need for the Yankees to be thinking trade.  But with Nick Swisher leaving today's game after suffering what's being called a "left quad contusion" on a play at the plate in the 6th inning, and his status being up in the air right now, the outfield situation might have to be revisited.  Before we all jump on FanGraphs and try to figure out which trade target best suits the Yankees, let's first examine what they could in-house to try to cover for the loss of Gardner and Swish, if it turns out he has to miss some time.