Joy R. Absalon-USA Today Sports
Recent New York Yankees call-up, third baseman David Adams, has the looks of an everyday MLB player.
Adams, who was brought up to fill in at the hot corner until Kevin Youkilis returned, has been everything the Yankees could’ve asked for, but what is his role going to be with the organization moving forward?
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To this point, the 26-year-old has had great at-bats, hit to all fields and has played terrific defense. His swing has been quick, compact and most importantly, sustainable.
While this has obviously been observed in a small sample size, his minor league numbers in Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton are consistent with what we’ve seen so far in the Bronx. Despite dealing with an array of injuries, Adams batted over .320 in the Yankees system since 2011, making his performance in the bigs feel sustainable thus far.
If it does continue, questions will have to be answered once Youkilis returns. Does he get traded? Sent down?
At first glance, with Adams stock most likely higher than it has ever been and with at-bats looking sparse in the future, it would seem that he is a great candidate to be dealt away in some sort of deadline deal. However, a long-term perspective needs to be used in this situation. While Adams may not be able to play a role in the 2013 Yankees as Youkilis and eventually Alex Rodriguez return, GM Brian Cashman must take into consideration what the Yankees future at third base looks like.
With Youkilis only signed to a one-year-deal and Rodriguez having major injury concerns, Adams should be viewed as a potential everyday option in 2014 , assuming there isn’t a significant drop-off in his play.
It’s easy to forget that this is even an option with the Yankees’ recent history. Typically, any Yankee positional prospect who shows any promise doesn’t have a role with the big club and is either stashed away in the minors or traded away.
However, this is an opportunity for Cashman and the Yankees to finally give one of their minor leaguers an everyday job in the bigs. It would send a very strong message to the entire organization that, with the age of many of the long-tenured Yankees, there are jobs to be had.
It would also parallel one of the Yankees’ goals in 2014. With the team trying to get their payroll below the $189 million luxury tax threshold, not having to re-sign Youkilis or another third baseman to split time with Rodriguez would go a long way to getting below it.
Adams would be a cheap, but viable option, to a team that has thrived with an influx of players who have something to prove so far in 2013. I’m sure the Yankee front office wouldn’t mind carrying over the attitude this 2013 team has displayed thus far.
The possibility of Adams becoming an everyday player doesn’t mean he is going to be a star, nor does he need to be. It just means, to this point, that Adams has shown a lot of sustainable characteristics which could lead to him being a solid MLB-caliber third baseman.
Instead of going out trying to spend money on a bigger name, this could be an instance when the Yankees can allocate their resources elsewhere by leaning on a player from within the organization. When the inevitable happens in a few weeks and Adams is sent down, remember that this time may be different. We may actually see Adams back in the Bronx, playing a significant role in the future.
Matthew Cermola is a New York Yankees and MLB writer for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @MCermolaRantMLB and add him to your network on Google.
