‘Tis the (off) season, when Yankee GM Brian Cashman declares things like “Bubba Crosby will be our center fielder” or “we’re comfortable with Mike Lamb at third.”
Maybe that’s why Cashman was saying Friday that the solution to the Yanks’ gaping hole behind the plate is “more likely than not, to be honest,” going to come from some combination of backup types and youngster already in the organization.
But as any Yankee fan knows, pronouncements like this have a way of withering like an old Christmas tree. Crosby never did start in center — a fella named Johnny Damon was signed — and Lamb was out when the Yanks traded for Alex Rodriguez.
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So we’ll have to wait and see if the Yankees really do give the likes of prospect Austin Romine, cult favorite Francisco Cervelli and last year’s backup Chris Stewart the chance to seize the catching duties. For now, there is not a proven starter in the bunch and their best catching prospect, Gary Sanchez, turns 20 on Saturday and hasn’t played above Class A.
And that’s why the Yankees could seek to add a veteran catcher, though it probably won’t be one of the two biggest backstop names on the free-agent market – A.J. Pierzynski and Mike Napoli. A source said the team was unlikely to pursue either.
But perhaps they mine the trade market for someone such as Cleveland’s Carlos Santana or the Rockies’ Ramon Hernandez. Available free agent veterans include Kelly Shoppach, Chris Snyder, Rod Barajas, Henry Blanco and Miguel Olivo.
Even Cashman admits the Yankees could never get the same kind of offense from his in-house group that they did from Martin, who hit just .211, but added 21 homers. But, the GM said, “I’d put those guys up with some of the best catchers in the game on the defensive side.”
Romine is probably the most likely of the three to be an everyday player one day. He is solid behind the plate but requires offensive development. And he annoyed some members of the club’s hierarchy last year with his preseason conditioning and then played only 31 games in the minors because of a back injury. He got some more playing time in the Arizona Fall League, but Cashman says the ideal is for Romine to spend all of 2013 at Triple-A.
“I think he’s outside looking in,” Cashman said. “But when you get this close to the big leagues, things can come quick if you’ve got a lot of talent and that talent closes the gap.”
Cervelli, meanwhile, was a two-year backup before losing the job to Stewart last season. He spent almost all of last season in the minors and some team officials were hoping it was a wake-up call for the ultra-confident Venezuelan. Still, Cashman says other teams have been asking about him and the Yanks believe he still possesses upside.
Martin left the Bronx for Pittsburgh and a two-year, $17 million contract. The Yankees did not want to spend that much on him and did not make him an official offer, Cashman said. Another source said, though, that the Yanks would have been happy to sign him for the same number of years and $12 million.
“I’m a big Russell Martin fan,” Cashman said. “But, ultimately, we have a lot of holes to fill and we have to be very careful how we spend our money. The market for Russell was aggressive, as it should have been I’m sorry to see him go, but at the same time, we’ll find ways to cushion the blow, as we always do.”
