After Robinson Cano’s departure from the New York Yankees, it has been extremely hard to fill the void at second base. Cano was a power-house hitter, a stand out asset to the New York starting lineup. In 2013, his last season with the Yankees, he batted .314, while slamming 27 homeruns and knocking in 107 RBI’s. His talent speaks for itself. He could have easily been the next New York captain if he hadn’t chosen money over loyalty, signing a $240 million, 10 year contract with the Seattle Mariners. While Cano’s departure is old news, the void he has left at the plate on second base, is still front and center for the Yankee organization, as they look to fill Robbie’s shoes.
The search for #24’s successor and putting together a solid skilled infield has been a bit like searching for a needle in a haystack for the Yankees. In 2014 they picked up shortstop Stephen Drew from the Red Sox, with hopes that he might transition to the second base position. Yet 2014 was abysmal for 31 year-old Drew, who finished the season with a .162 batting average and .237 on base percentage, the lowest in Major League Baseball for players with 300 or more plate appearances. Yet, the Yanks offered Drew a $5 million contract to put on the pinstripes again in 2015. Why put such clout on a player that owned the basement in two key offensive stats? Some may argue that a veteran infielder is needed to provide calm and leadership for what promises to be a young infield. Yet, as he begins the 2015 season, even his 2013 batting average of .253 with the Boston Red Sox seems to be the most that we can expect from Drew offensively. Despite of this, however, on March 10, Joe Girardi, Yankees manager, announced that Stephen Drew would be the starting second baseman. Thus, it does not look like we will see another slugging second baseman after Cano’s flight west.
While the data may make many skeptical about the offensive contributions from second base in 2015, Joe Girardi has been outspoken in his faith that Drew will come through and contribute. “We didn’t sign him to struggle. We signed him to play at a very high level, and we expect that he will,” Girardi told reporters at a spring training interview. Is Girardi putting too much faith in the new second baseman? Probably. Yet, he is confident. He went on to tell reporters he believes that Drew can return to his old self, delivering numbers that are more aligned with his 2013 .253 batting average. While a distinct improvement over .162, Drew’s offensive potential pales in comparison to Cano’s offensive contributions.
While Girardi is confident in Drew, a Robinson Cano, he is not. While he may provide leadership for a young infield, .the Yankees could surely find a stronger candidate to be their second baseman. While it might be impossible to find one of Cano’s caliber, the Yankees team and fans alike must not lose hope in the future of New York.
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