After Gregorius the Yankees get Miller. Does the rebuild start today?
Today was a good day for a Dutch Yankee fan.
My day was already made by the news that the Yankees acquired Dutch shortstop Didi Gregorius in a trade. But it did get even better when I read that they signed Andrew Miller to a four year $36 million contract. I won’t say that $36 million is cheap, but compared to the amounts that Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez were signed for it is a steal.
Miller broke into the Majors in 2006 with the Tigers. In that year he made eight appearances, all as a reliever. He posted a 0-1 record with a 6.10 ERA. After a couple of Major League stints with the Tigers and Marlins, he ended up in the Red Sox organization in 2011. For Pawtucket he appeared in thirteen games, twelve as a starter. He had a 3-3 record with a 2.47 ERA. Eventually his star began to shine in his first full season in Boston in 2013, where he posted a 1-2 record in 37 appearances as a reliever with a 2.64 ERA. Last season with Baltimore he had a personal record breaking number of appearances (73) in which he posted a 5-5 record and an ERA of 2.02. Maybe the most important thing is that he kept his opponents at a batting average of .153.
Peronally I think that the Yankees acquired him as an insurance piece. I still think that they will land David Robertson. Despite the complaints of Yankee fans that he would not be good enough to fill Mo’s shoes, he did a great job. Miller doesn’t have experience as an every day closer. And if the Yankees can’t convince Robertson to return, they still have Betances to fill the void.
At third I think that Prado will be a good fit, so the left side of the infield may be set.
What about the right side? Since the Yankees are very high on Rob Refsnyder (AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) they may give him a shot at second base. In 287 at bats at AAA he hit a very respectable .300 with an OBP of .389.
Refsnyder will be 24 at the start of the new season. Gregorius will be 25 when the new season starts. With these two the average age of the infield will go down drastically.
Rob Refsnyder, here with the Trenton Thunder (AA affiliate of the Yankees)
We still have to see how the acquisition of Gregorius will pan out. It seems that he has a good character to play in the Majors, so I think he will succeed. If so, what to do with A-Rod? He can be used as a utiltiy infielder. He can play third and shortstop. Or else he can be used in the DH spot. You can only wonder if his ego can handle a backup role.
Despite the acquisitions of today, I don’t see the Yankees as contenders in 2015, but you have to start somewhere. Miller is signed for four years. Gregorius is still under full control; if he fits in they can offer him a contract extension. I see it as a start of a rebuilding period. It may take a couple of years, but at least it gives some hope for the future.