Stop-Gap Center

In my first post, I made a brief argument for signing Rocco Baldelli. I want to take a closer look at center field now, and evaluate all of our options. Center field is one of the most coveted positions in Yankee history, and who plays there has a profound effect on the dynamic in the outfield.

1. Play Damon in center. Damon has shown this season that he can in fact play center field on occasion, if you don't mind having the arm of a 12 year old girl in center field.

2. Play Melky in center. At this point, I think most Yankee fans have resigned themselves to accepting that Melky is really just the .240-.260 hitter that he has been for the past year and a half. Still, is more than capable of getting a pinch start in center as a fourth outfielder. He still has that cannon for an arm, and he was 19-57 (.333) in his stint at AAA.

3. Let Bret Gardner play center. This is one of our more legitimate options. Gardner may not be our long term center field solution, but he has shown in his limited time with the major league club that his defense saves runs and his speed on the base paths wins games. A guy with his speed can steal bases all season long, he can pinch run when he doesn't start, and he has plus range in the field. Gardner historically is slow to adapt to a new level of hitting, so I preach patience to you Yankee fans. Lets give the kid a legitimate shot. If our offense falters again n 2009, I'll have a hard time blaming Bret Gardner. If the 2009 lineup returns to form, Gardner should be able to hit at least as well as Melky (if not better), but has more tools that he does and adds another style of play to this team.

4. Sign Rocco Baldelli. Another great option. I think if we can get Baldelli for a 1 year deal (maybe with a team option) with incentives for amount of games played and whatnot, he could be a great pick up. Yes, he is often found on the disabled list, but he has a lot of talent, and would prove to be an excellent stop-gap in center for us. I think the best thing the Yanks can do is let Gardner and Baldelli fight it out in spring training. If they both do well, then have them split time in center. Baldelli could DH from time to time, or play a corner spot if need be. Of course in this scenario, Melky Cabrera is not on the 25 man roster. If Baldelli gets hurt and can't play center, then you have Gardner, Damon, and Cabrera to fill in.

5. Trade for Nate McLouth. McLouth, the coveted Pirates center fielder, is putting up a .280/.360/.510 line with 26 homers and 94 RBIs. Very respectable numbers, and I hear he plays a nice center field too. Still, After trading away their other two star outfielders (Bay and Nady), it would likely take a lot of acquire McLouth. I advise against this trade because trade talks would likely start with Cano or Hughes.

6. Trade for David DeJesus. DeJesus would likely not cost as much as McLouth. He is two years older (28) and plays a pretty poor center field from what I've read. Despite any defensive concerns, he has a .307/.365/.453 line for the Royals this year. I am wary of DeJesus for defensive reasons, so I would also not do this trade. Defense and general athletic ability has been something the Yankees has lacked, so I would prefer not to add to that. Still, he would be a nice pick up to try out in center if we could acquire him for not too much.

7. Trade for Matt Kemp. Kemp is the young star for the LA Dodgers, and would also likely require a good return. He has a very nice .289/.337/.455 line, and all indications are that he is also very capable in the field. Kemp is probably the most enticing trade option since he's only 24 years old. However, that also might make him the most expensive. I'm not sure what the price tag would be on Kemp, but I have heard rumors floating around about Hughes or Cano as the center piece for a package. If that's what we have to give up though, I would rather take my chances with internal options.

That's about all I can think of for now. The bottom line here is that we need someone to hold down the fort until Austin Jackson is ready. Jackson is really starting to shine as a center field prospect. His hitting has been solid for the past two seasons now, and he has shown some great ability on the field. In fact, AJax won the MVP for the Trenton Thunder's playoff series (Yanks AA team). In that series he hit a walk off home run in one game, and robbed not one, but two home runs from the opposing team. Lets all take a moment to knock on wood and hope he pans out the way he projects. Until then, the best option the Yankees have is to find serviceable stop-gaps until that time.