Key Subtractions
Stephen Drew:
No one will miss this walking corpse at second base.
Stephen Drew was atrocious, inadequate, godawful, defective, garbage, and just…bad.
In 131 games last season, he slashed .201/.271/.381 while playing average, at best, defense. In his career in New York (177 games) he has a .187 batting average.
I’m not sure why Cashman payed this guy $5 million, but he’s glad Drew be ruining the Washington Nationals lineup instead of the Yankees’ lineup in 2016.
So long, Drew. You won’t be missed.
Justin Wilson:
This move surprised everyone.
Cashman made a variety of moves that made this team a lot better, but moving a valuable late-inning arm for a pair of Triple-A caliber starters was not one of them.
Wilson, 28, had a 3.10 ERA in 61 innings last season and would have been a reliable left arm in a bullpen full of superstars.
However, in return New York brought in Luis Cessa who made the opening day roster after a spring in which he maintained a 2.70 ERA in five games (one start).
The Yankees have been pretty good at building a quality bullpen over the years. With that said, I have full trust in Cashman’s ability to build a strong ‘pen, and Girardi’s ability to manage one.
Wilson being dealt caused some eyebrows to rise, but with the three headed monster along with other arms like Chasen Shreve and Johnny Barbato, the Yankees will make it work.
Adam Warren:
Warren was sent to the Chicago Cubs in the same deal that brought over Starlin Castro.
From a “WAR” perspective, Warren can be replaced by virtually anyone. But when you look deeper into how valuable this swing man was for the Bombers, you’ll realize it’s a tall task.
Warren pitched in 131.1 innings, going 7-7 with a 3.29 ERA in 17 starts and 26 relief appearances for the Yankees last season. No one will be talking about his 2015 season when we’re all gone, but his value was undeniable.
For a rotation that struggles with health and consistency last year, Warren was able to make spot starts if they needed days off, and provide long relief.
To put the icing on the cake, his 3.29 ERA was third best among starters (Masahiro Tanaka: 3.51, Luis Severino: 2.89).
Yes, the Yankees got Castro, but it’s obvious that Girardi will miss someone who made his job so much easier.
