UPDATE: The Yankees will call up Rob Refsnyder from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday and he'll join the team in Boston, according to Jack Curry of the YES Network.
The New York Yankees have dealt with a number of issues this season, but perhaps the most glaring is their situation at second base. Stephen Drew cannot hit the ball and Jose Pirela has failed to provide the spark the team thought he might. Will the team find a solution from within the organization?
Drew's hitting woes have persisted in 2015 and the season is already more than halfway done. Although manager Joe Girardi has insisted on keeping Drew in the lineup while reiterating the second baseman has been unlucky because he's making good contact, it's hard to believe the Yankees will deal with this for much longer.
Trade rumors surrounding New York have mostly dealt with starting pitching and not second basemen, likely because the market for starting pitching is almost endless and the one for middle infielders is scarce. As a result, rumors suggest the Yankees could look to fill their void at second base with a prospect.
"They are unsatisfied with Drew's offensive production, but have yet to find a better alternative," writes Andrew Marchand of ESPNNewYork.com.
"They would gladly eat the rest of the $5 million owed to Drew if they had a solution. In the offseason, a source told ESPN New York upon Drew's signing, that if Drew didn't hit the Yankees would let him go.
"The problem for the Yankees is there is no one yet to take Drew's place. So second base is indicative of how the Yankees may approach the July 31 trade deadline. They may be more likely to try to add from within than via a deal ...
"The Yankees are not set up to make a big deal anyway because they want to preserve their top youth and do not want future salary issues to weigh down their long-term planning."
Drew is batting .178/.251/.364 with 23 runs scored, 11 home runs and 24 RBIs in 74 games while Pirela is slashing .203/.227/.297 with 6 runs scored, 1 home run and 3 RBIs in 27 games (64 at-bats). Could prospect Rob Refsnyder crack the MLB roster in the coming weeks?
Refsnyder was one of the team's best hitters during spring training, but his defense was too much of a weakness for the Yankees to give him the job. He batted .364/.462/.568 with 10 runs scored, 1 home run and 7 RBIs in 26 games (44 at-bats) and has continued that success in 78 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (.282/.379/.396 with 44 runs scored, 6 home runs, 35 RBIs and 10 stolen bases).
"Refsnyder has shown defensive improvement at Triple-A and could be called up to supplant Jose Pirela, yet it's possible Refsnyder himself could be trade bait; he has some prospect value but he isn't one of the 'top tier guys' in the Yankee farm system," Mark Polishuk of MLBTradeRumors.com added.
Defense has seemingly held Refsnyder back and it's believed Drew continues to get playing time because he's a reliable defender at second.
"For all his woes at the plate, Drew plays solid defense-he's only made three errors this year at second, writes Ryan Hatch of NJ.com. "His range-factor is not earning him highlights every night, but unlike his hitting, it's not the worst in the league and for a team with problems in the field all year, a steady hand at any position is welcomed."
Drew is at least making up for his shortcomings at the plate and it appears to be a decent trade-off because the Yankees are third in the MLB with 379 runs scored this season. However, the problem will be when New York needs clutch at-bats. Drew is batting .230 with two outs and .154 with runners in scoring position.
Marchand notes it's unlikely Refsnyder will be handed the job if/when he's promoted, so look for the prospect to get the call and be eased into the position as they figure out what to do with Drew.
If not, the Yankees have been linked to Ben Zobrist, who would be a solid addition at the trade deadline. However, there is expected to be much demand for the veteran and the Oakland Athletics will likely look for the best deal possible if they decide to shop Zobrist.
All we know at this point is that it's clear Drew's .178 average is not going to cut it down the stretch.
