Austin Romine has been a key part of the New York Yankees‘ success so far but his hot performance increases the likelihood of a trade.
When Gary Sanchez went down, the legend of Austin Romine came to life. And boy, did the New York Yankees backup catcher stir up some conversation amongst fans.
Romine kept the Yankees afloat after Sanchez went on the disabled list and exceeded expectations in every aspect of the game. Sanchez succumbing to injury actually turned out to be an incredibly positive thing.
The problem is that Romine has just proven himself to be a sufficient everyday catcher. When he received significant at-bats, instead of once every four or five days, he excelled.
During the games he played in Sanchez’ absence, the Yankees have gone 16-5. Romine has been on fire at the plate as well, compiling a .316 batting average for the season and helping the Yankees score the second-most runs in baseball in that span (130). He has launched two home runs as well, boosting his resume with an impressive five-RBI game last week.
On the defensive side, Romine has done better than anyone expected. The best part about his performance is his ability to work with all pitchers, keeping them calm and focused on the task at hand.
So many would ask, why would a trade be imminent? Well, his good performance is good for the Yankees but even better for trade value.
The Yankees boast a 28-year-old former top prospect who has just shown that he has the chops to be an everyday catcher. He has the attitude to deal with difficult pitchers and he has a calming presence behind the plate.
He’s the entire package for a team that is in need of a reliable starting catcher while their young guns are developing in the minor leagues. They need a placeholder who has gotten a taste of the major leagues and has proven they can handle it.
Sound familiar?
There’s no way Romine will be able to get half the workload with superstar Sanchez returning. He’s also 28 years old and with the Yankees having some hot catchers coming up through the ranks, his position with the Yankees will be limited soon.
Now is the time to look for trade partners. Not just for the benefit it will bring to the Yankees but the benefit it would bring to Romine.
Romine’s age works against him in his current position with the Yankees. Some teams could be actively searching for catchers to fill the void until their young studs come up. That would be the perfect solution for a guy who has shown that he’s ready to be an everyday starter after years of hard work.
For the Yankees, teams would be willing to provide valuable trade bait for a catcher with stats like his. They could get a great return if they started searching for trade partners while Romine is still hot.
It could potentially be a win-win for the Yankees and Romine. Romine deserves a real shot at starting and right now, he’s being blocked by a younger, flashier catcher.
He’s done his job and there’s no more room for him to grow in New York. However, he just showed off his true potential. Right now, the Yankees need to give him new life by letting him go.
