Mark Teixeira is no longer just a struggling bat for the New York Yankees, he is a hole in their lineup.
When Mark Teixeira returned from a substantial knee injury after non-surgical rehab, their was skepticism as to how he would produce on the field.
Already putting up dismal, uncharacteristic numbers for the Yanks, a hampering physical condition was exactly what would stand between him and a seasonal revival.
Combine his ailing knee, which warrants days off, with his brutal .189/.267/.311 slash and you have a first baseman who is currently inept offensively. Especially when you consider the fact that he has hit .214 with a .250 on-base percentage in his last 15 games, it becomes evident that little to no strides are being made.
Even if they are made, a guy the Yankees need 30 homer, 100 RBI production from has given them seven homers and 20 RBIs at a 55-percent completion point in the season. In other words, that puts him on a 13 home run, 36 RBI pace.
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He is 36 years of age, clearly hurting, and having the worst statistical semi-full season of his career. The problem for the Yankees is that they are stuck, at least until 2017.
They had great leverage over the first baseman entering 2016. Coming off a season in which he smacked 31 homers and drove in 79 runs over only 111 games, they had a guy who was in AL MVP consideration. Only a season-ending leg injury was able to stop him short.
Any team would have been interested in his services considering it was the walk year of his deal. With that said, it turned into another potential rebuilding step the front office whiffed on.
Now, they would love to trade him. In fact, the reported differences in opinion up the Yankee ladder revealed that general manager Brian Cashman and other team officials would like to ship Tex.
Sure, any fan or team official would jump on the opportunity to relieve themselves of an aging star’s burden. However, nothing substantial would be received for a guy who has effectively made his trade value little to none.
Prior to the season, they reasonably could have brought in multiple upper-end prospects or proven major leaguers just for one year of Teixeira’s prowess. Currently, he amounts to about a bag of baseballs.
Who truly desires a guy way past his heyday with an injury most players would be written off for?
There is no telling what the next couple of months hold for him. A strong chance lies in him injuring an already severely hurt knee, painfully stumbling to the finish line, or just treading water.
Unfortunately, all of those possibilities will not end in the favor of New York. They will pay witness to an ugly ending of a long partnership that has featured its ups and downs.
Unlike most situations ownership is currently avoiding, they cannot act on this one. There is no true way to attack the situation or make it a win-win for both parties involved.
Teixeira either goes on an unlikely surge or the team watches in sorrow. You have to feel for a guy who has always given his best day in and day out.
