At this point the New York Yankees really don't have a backup third baseman. While Alex Rodriguez and Starlin Castro are considered options, A-Rod is clearly going to remain the designated hitter, and the Yankes hope Castro can take over at second base full-time. What about prospect Rob Refsnyder?
Refsnyder, primarily a second baseman, is not regarded as a good defender, but the youngster impressed at the hot corner on Sunday and will continue to get reps at the position as the Yankees look for a consistent backup option behind Chase Headley.
No, Refsnyder isn't ready to take over the post in the bigs, even on a somewhat regular basis, but this is an interesting scenario to consider. The 24-year-old is regarded as the best pure hitter in the Yankees' system, but New York has little use for him because of his below-average defense. He has some experience in the outfield, but general manager Brian Cashman added depth to that unit this offseason, and the potential imminent MLB debut from prospect Aaron Judge may create even more of a surplus.
Might a change of scenery in the infield help Refsnyder? He made 18 errors at second in 107 games last season with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate) and didn't impress all that much on the defensive side of the ball in his first 15 MLB games last year.
But check out this play he made at third yesterday:
Additionally, manager Joe Girardi told George A. King III of the New York Post that "you have to take someone who can play third," in reference to selecting the team's fourth bench player. So right now it's a "what if" game in terms of whether or not Refsnyder could be the team's backup third baseman, but it's certainly something to keep in mind throughout spring training because it's doubtful the Yankees want the youngster's offense to go to waste.
If the 24-year-old can prove to be capable at third, then Girardi can get him into the lineup more, especially since Headley looks to be on the decline after a bad 2015 campaign. Refsnyder hit .271/.359/.402 with 66 runs scored, 9 home runs, 56 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 117 games with the RailRiders last year and then registered 13 hits (three doubles, two homers) and five RBI in 16 games with the Yankees. He batted .302/.348/.512 in 43 at-bats.
Meanwhile, Headley had one of the worst campaigns of his career on both offense and defense. The veteran batted just .259 with a .693 OPS (the lowest of his career playing in at least 100 games), accumulated a measly 1.1 WAR (his lowest since 2009) and made 23 errors at third base (10 more than his previous career-worst).
If Refsnyder can portray defensive consistency at third base and continue to produce with his bat, Girardi could very well give him a spot on the MLB roster. Additionally, if Headley manages to replicate another poor campaign as the 2016 season progresses, Refsnyder could find his way into a more integral role with the team.
This is all hypothetical, but the Yankees are in dire need of a backup third baseman, and with Castro now manning second base, Refsnyder needs to reinvent himself to get more playing time.
