Well, maybe this will fix the offense. The Yankees are calling up top prospect Greg Bird.
From the article:
From the article:
Greg Bird called up
- Thread starter ThePrideofShiner
- Start date
Both A-Rod and Tex could certainly use days off, hopefully Bird gets into the lineup at least 3-4 times a week. This season has always been about transitioning to the future, really great to see guys like Severino and Bird given a chance this quickly.
Great news. I am on board with getting Bird, Refsnyder, Severino some solid big league experience this season. This might be the ultimate test of A-Rod's good humor, to sit on the bench in favor of a rookie. Put Bird in against righties, have Tex DH, and sit Alex.
soxfan121 said:
I interpret that slightly differently: Refsnyder wasn't definitely going back down a few days later (a la Schwarber for the Cubs when they had a week in AL cities and needed a DH), NY gave him a brief trial and weren't comfortable with his defense.
With Bird, NY is going to need a backup 1B and there aren't many other options, so if they do send him back down, I'm not quite sure how they'll replace him. Ackley is supposedly feeling better but would need at least a few games of rehab ABs if he's even up to that point.
He sure did. Looks like he belongs, but we'll see. Sort of like that Shaw kid who is doing so well for you guys. How much is sustainable? No idea, but I'm having fun watching him to see.
edit: added quote
Bird wouldn't even be here except for the 16-inning game last week. That's when they DFA'd Garrett Jones for the second time, just to get another pitcher in the bullpen. That opened the window for Bird as Jones could not be signed again, nor did he want to stay with the Yankees after the second cut.
If Bird keeps producing, they will find a way to get him ABs. Not every game but hopefully he can be in the lineup 4-5 times a week. We're going to find out what kind of pinch-hitter he is, too.
If Bird keeps producing, they will find a way to get him ABs. Not every game but hopefully he can be in the lineup 4-5 times a week. We're going to find out what kind of pinch-hitter he is, too.
Probably true, unless he pulls a Shane Spencer and goes crazy for one month. He is definitely an X factor for the Yankees, something they did not have until now.
I don't know if anyone expected him to have this much power this quickly, 9 HRs in 116 ABs so far, not a cheap shot among them:
http://www.hittrackeronline.com/detail.php?id=2015_4530&type=hitter
Also he is 8th in all of MLB for SLG for September, just ahead of Bautista and Trout among others:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/maxage/41/split/45/sort/slugAvg/order/true/minpa/50
http://www.hittrackeronline.com/detail.php?id=2015_4530&type=hitter
Also he is 8th in all of MLB for SLG for September, just ahead of Bautista and Trout among others:
http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/batting/_/maxage/41/split/45/sort/slugAvg/order/true/minpa/50
They have Judge waiting for Beltran to break or his contract to expire, he is going to be a top 20 prospect in all of MLB in the offseason lists.
I wonder if they'd consider trading Tex at this point and if so, how much value he'd have?
I wonder if they'd consider trading Tex at this point and if so, how much value he'd have?
Maybe that's a little high, we'll see, but a lot of guys have graduated to the bigs, and mlb.com has him at #18 on their current list (which I think maybe they continually update, at least dropping guys out when they lose eligibility?). Severino is still on there, but won't be after another start or two.
http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2015?list=prospects
http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2015?list=prospects
Judge did struggle in 228 ABs at the AAA level following his promotion from AA Trenton, where he did fairly well in 250 ABs, slugging .516 compared to slugging .373 in Scranton. He needs another season in AAA ball, and that fits right into NY's timetable.
Bird succeeds so well at each level because he commands the strike zone. He has holes that big league pitchers have exploited but when they miss, he hits mistakes a long way. Judge walked only 53 times in 2015 in 478 ABs compared to 89 walks in 467 ABs in 2014 down in the low minors.
Because Beltran has been NY's best hitter since May, it is hoped he can perform at a high level in 2016, his final contract year. Hopefully, Judge will benefit from another 450 ABs in 2016 at Scranton and be ready to take over the RF job in 2017.
Bird succeeds so well at each level because he commands the strike zone. He has holes that big league pitchers have exploited but when they miss, he hits mistakes a long way. Judge walked only 53 times in 2015 in 478 ABs compared to 89 walks in 467 ABs in 2014 down in the low minors.
Because Beltran has been NY's best hitter since May, it is hoped he can perform at a high level in 2016, his final contract year. Hopefully, Judge will benefit from another 450 ABs in 2016 at Scranton and be ready to take over the RF job in 2017.
Bird has had a long year so they might not want to do this, but they should think about sending him to the AFL and seeing if he can play an adequate 3B. If he can, they could rotate him/A-Rod/Tex/Headley through 1B/3B/DH, that would be plenty of ABs for all of them.
Now you are overthinking. It makes sense except you are putting a huge burden on the kid. Learn how to play third? Hell, Teix played third in college. Put him over there. Bird is the future. Teix is the past.jon abbey said:
Bird is averaging a homer every 12 ABs. The league will adjust to him again. But he has learned to lay off high fast balls that were getting him out frequently in his first two weeks with NY.