Bronx Briefing: Yankees Bench Providing Boost
By Neil Keefe
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After leaving Saturday's game early, A-Rod missed his second Sunday night game in a sore oblique and lower back, despite a "clean" MRI that showed no damage. With A-Rod out of the lineup against the West's best Rangers, it seemed like the Yankees would be trailing the Rangers even before first pitch. But this isn't the Yankees of the last few years.
In recent years when when Cody Ransom and Morgan Ensberg have inadequately filled in for A-Rod, or when Ramiro Pena's lack of any offense had to take over for a few days, the Yankees have been lost when A-Rod has missed any time. Now with the former face of the Oakland A's sitting on the bench if No. 13 can't play, the lineup doesn't drastically drop off like it used to.
Eric Chavez has provided insurance for the Yankees with A-Rod already missing two games (and possibly more along the way). But with A-Rod out of the lineup and Chavez in, the lineup is nowhere near being as unbalanced as it used to be when the Yankees would be without their third baseman. Playing in a limited role, Chavez isn't the player he once was as a star with the A's, Gold Glove winner and middle-of-the-order presence, but in the handful of games he has played in for the Yankees, he has recaptured some of his production from his Oakland days.
After peppering the Green Monster over a week ago at Fenway, Chavez has continued his hot hitting by going 7-for-15 (.467) as a Yankee with two doubles and three RBIs, including the game-winning RBI single against Arthur Rhodes and the Rangers on Sunday night. Entering that at-bat in the eighth inning, Chavez had seen Rhodes more than any other Yankee (26 plate appearances) thanks to his time in the AL West. Rangers manager Ron Washington left the lefty Rhodes in to face the lefty Chavez, and Chavez had his first big moment in the Bronx. But he isn't the only recently acquired bench player to provide a boost to an area of the team that has been the weakness to the club for many season.
I was worried about how Andruw Jones would perform as a Yankee after hitting just .204 over the last three years, and with Marcus Thames' providing just frequent late-game heroics for the Yankees in 2010, it was tough to see him go. But along with the signing of Chavez, Brian Cashman's decision to bring in Jones was also an exceptional move (yes, I just complimented Cashman).
Like Chavez, Jones has proved to be better a better outfield bench option than the Yankees have had in years. Despite Thames' clutch hitting last season and his domination of left-handed pitching, he was more than a liability in the field and couldnt' be trusted to fill in the outfield if needed. Jones has brought a solid bat with him going 4-for-12 as a Yankee with a home run and two RBIs, and though he is a few years removed from his last Gold Glove, Jones could play the outfield for extended periods of time, and he might start if Brett Gardner can't find a way to get on base.
The Yankees are not as good with A-Rod out of the lineup and Chavez in, and they won't be as good if one of their three Opening Day starting outfielders doesn't perform and Jones has to play. But in the past, lengthy appearances from Yankees bench players would be crippling to the team. Now they're not a problem at all.
