Negative No. 3: Hey, What About Tyler Austin?
At this moment in time, the one player that is most affected by the one-year deal to Chris Carter is Austin.
Even after the signing of Holliday, Austin was not only expected to give Greg Bird a run for his money at first this spring and be his insurance, but he was also supposed to be that late-inning pinch hitter against dangerous southpaws out of the ‘pen.
Now, it appears as though that job is Carter’s to lose and it’s almost guaranteed that Austin is in a position where he has to scratch and claw for a roster spot.
If Austin has a tremendous spring and the Yankees are still looking for Aaron Judge to bud into the slugger he’s supposed to be, the 6-foot-7 righty could start his campaign in Triple-A. Or if Judge adjusts, that could mean Austin is the odd man out.
What I’m trying to say is: 2017 was supposed to be about assessing the young talent in the organization while ridding themselves of ugly contracts.
While Cashman didn’t add the latter, every at-bat Carter takes is one taken away from seeing what a youngster could do. But, I’m sure the Yankees won’t care if his power translates to Yankee Stadium as it’s supposed to.
After all, I’m sure the Yankees would have added more to the win column with the signing of a starter or lefty reliever, rather than investing in a slugger who maintained a negative win probability added in each of the past two seasons.
What do you think, fans? Are you content with the signing or emphatically enraged? Let your voice be heard in the comments below.
