Infielders, Part I!

Man, do we have infielders this year!  Or, in reality, mostly an invalid corps of hobbled DHs trying to place first base.  But I digress, and there's a lot to get through.

Infielders I:

DH-1B

Luke Voit: A—

What's not to like?  This guy has saved us this year, after another (perfectly predictable) Bird flu epidemic.

Sure, he hasn't been the .330 hitter he was in September of last year, but who expected that?  He's been nearly as good with 32 extra-base hits, including 17 homers, a terrific 49 walks, and a .901 OPS.  He plays a credible first base, as well.

The only reservations?  Well, he sometimes looks as though he could spend a little more time in the weight room, and a little less at the clubhouse buffet.  Which is okay!  On the other hand, it keeps him from popping a hammie or a lat ("She wouldn't have a hammie or a lat/ I'm her 8th old man named Hen-a-ry...").  On the other other hand, he popped one anyway, on the dubious dirt of EuroFenway.

Also, one does wonder about how well he'll fare against really first-rate pitching.  More like the no homers, .235 BA he ran up in the playoffs last year?  We'll see—but for now, thank you, Luke!

Kendrys Morales: F

Great Yankee Stadium swing, my eye.  Master Morales has been expelled for underproduction, and is now seeking gainful employment.

Edwin Encarnacion: Inc, F pending

Kendrys II, so far.  Sure, it seems impossible he could really deteriorate that quickly, from an AL-leading 21 homers in Seattle, to a .123/.208/.338/.547 slash with the Yankees.

On the other hand, that is often how fast aged, out-of-shape players go.  Sure, Coops has already come up with the whispered excuse that this was a brilliant, "blocking" trade to keep the mighty Rays—the club we worry about so much we don't even play the first team against them—from acquiring.  And you can already hear the gears clicking in Coops' head, cooking up the next round of self-congratulations should he improve:  "Well, we had to anticipate that Stanton could be hurt again, so when we saw we could do this..."

The trouble is, like Neil Walker before him, and like Chris Carter before him—and like Virgil Caine's brother above him—Coops is likely to give him a wholly unwarranted number of at-bats to prove this, no matter how awful he continues to be.

This is subtraction by addition.  Oh, and the bird thing is really stupid.

Greg Bird: Inc, F pending

Speaking of fowl, after many absences, Master Bird is unlikely to return this semester—or ever.

It's a pity.  The guy looked like he could've been the killer, left-handed bat in the middle of the lineup we were hankering for.  

But it's more than just the injuries.  In 522 plate appearances since those glorious 46 games in his rookie year, Bird has hit just .194.  We're all still remembering that glorious, game-winning homer against the Indians in 2017.  Hey, Stephen Drew had his good days, too.  Time to let this one go.

Mike Ford: C

All right, as one of two members of the Mike Ford Fan Club—looking at you, Scotland—I'll be the first to admit that he hasn't jelled as quickly as we wanted.

On the other hand, when he was called up for the bizarre Tampa Bay series, the first thing he did was single.  Then he walked.  Then he was glued to the bench again.

This is silly already.  The man is an on-base machine with considerable pop—exactly the sort of hitter the Yankees claim to crave.  If he had gone to a junior college in Texas instead of Princeton, he would now be one of Cashman's darlings.

He's a Ford, not a Lincoln, but he deserves a real chance!

Ryan McBroom: Not matriculated

Curiouser and curiouser.  A lifetime .814 OPS and 121 homers in the minors, and he doesn't even get Ford's cup of coffee.  Somehow, I suspect he could match EE's .123 in the majors.  And he wouldn't even do stupid stuff while running the bases.

Next up: More infielders!  Stay tuned!