The Yankees have been waiting and waiting all season long for Greg Bird to finally get healthy and play first base every day. The young first baseman put together an unbelievable spring training and was expected to be the biggest run producer on the team coming into this season.
Bird hit eight home runs and drove in 15 during spring training. He also had an outstanding .451 batting average and a .556 on base percentage. This was coming off of a season in which Bird was out all 162 games due to a torn labrum. He came into spring training looking for a big rebound season and it looked like he was going to do just that in 2017 for the Yankees.
Then the regular season came and Bird’s expectations were sky high. He batted third for the Yankees on opening day. Then the wheels fell off instantly as there was speculation that Bird might have suffered an ankle injury at the end of spring training. Bird was horrendous in April, batting .100 with one home run and three RBIs. He never found his swing and was put on the disabled list to rehab his injured ankle.
It is July 17th and Bird has not seen the field since then. His ankle was not healing despite multiple cortisone shots and daily rehab. He went on a very short rehab assignment in the minor leagues but the ankle never felt right so he went for testing earlier this month to see exactly what the problem was.
Bird saw Dr. Martin O’Malley and discovered that he has inflammation in a small bone at the back of his ankle. It is an injury typically associated with dancers and track-and-field athletes. He could continue to get shots in his ankle or he could elect for surgery with a recovery time of about six weeks. Bird elected for surgery thus putting his 2017 season is serious jeopardy.
The Yankees have had problems at first base all season long. They had Chris Carter there for a couple months but that turned out to be a disaster as he was a strikeout machine and questionable in the field. Then they brought up Ji-Man Choi who has had some decent production for them, but he is most likely a platoon player. Then they swung a deal with the Brewers and brought in minor leaguer Garrett Cooper to platoon with Choi. Both players can swing the bat fairly well. However, if the Yankees have their eyes on a World Series title this season, they will need better production from a traditional power position.
Because they were holding out hope for a Greg Bird come back, GM Brian Cashman never pulled the trigger on bringing in an everyday first baseman. Now with Bird electing to have surgery, Cashman can now fully commit himself to finding a first baseman before the July 31st trade deadline.
There are a few names out there that have been linked to the Yankees. Lucas Duda is one of them and that is very interesting because he plays for the cross-town rival Mets. Duda is a power hitting lefty and is exactly what the Yankees need. His contract is up after this season so he won’t block Bird for next season and he should be fairly cheap on the market. If Duda were on a different team, this would be a no-brainer, however, he is which may complicate things.
Next up is A’s first basemen Yonder Alonso. Alonso, like Duda, is a power hitting lefty who is in the final year of his current deal and is exactly what the Yankees are looking for. He has had his best season of his career and even made his first all-star game, thus making him a more pricey option. He would be a great get for the Yankees however they may have to deal with a valuable young prospect if they hope to land Alonso.
Last and probably the least likely is the Marlins first basemen Justin Bour. Bour is probably the best player of the three, however, he has years left on his deal after this season. That would mean his price is very high and he would block Greg Bird for next season. Brian Cashman has stated that despite his injuries, the Yankees are committed long-term to Greg Bird. Justin Bour does not fit into that narrative.
So it remains to be seen just how Brian Cashman navigates things as the trade deadline approaches. It seems highly likely that he will bring in a first baseman; the question is who? As of now Lucas Duda and Yonder Alonso seem like the two likeliest options, however, anything can happen.
Featured Image via Brad Penner/USA Today Sports
