WHY RONNIER MUSTELIER IS A PERFECT FIT

I am sitting here and silently praying that Mark Teixeira’s injury to his tendon sheath is going to heal on its own, without surgery. I am not going  to jump to conclusions yet, I like the odds that there is a 70% chance he won't need it. Read that HERE. Say what you will about Teixeira’s slow starts, he is vital to this lineup. There is no duplicating him with a free agent, there just isn’t anyone out there. Unless Brian Cashman pulls off a magical trade, our replacement is going to be in house. While I don’t think there is anyone quite like him, I have an idea of who I would like to see filling in for him.

(In Photo: Juan Rivera)
If there is a silver lining in all of this, it is that we have some versatile players who can help us fill in until Tex comes back (notice I said when, not if. I am sticking to this idea). I know Juan Rivera has opened up a lot of eyes this spring, but there is someone else I think will be a big contributor to this team and he will add some youth to our “old team."

Enter the possibility of Ronnier Mustelier. I like this kid, he is young and he has a lot of energy to add to our lineup. I think it is time to shake things up a little bit. The Yankees originally signed Kevin Youkilis to fill in for an injured Alex Rodriguez, but now I think the Yankees should at least explore the idea of moving Youk back to first base and let Mustelier play third base.

Mustelier offers a lot of interesting possibilities, we talked about him recently in our piece called LET RONNIER MUSTELIER PLAY THIRD BASE! Sure, he has more experience playing in the outfield, but he has also had time at third base. I really like the idea of playing Mustelier here because he is very athletic, and I think he will be durable and effective there. I can see him diving for a ball and using his quick instincts to get a ball before it passes by him. Maybe moving Youkilis to first base would help him stay healthier. Third base is a very demanding position, so maybe moving Youkilis out of that position would benefit him in the long run because it could help him stay away from more nagging injuries. We definitely don’t need any more of those right now.

Mustelier has a lot of potential. He has really moved up the Yankees minor league system quickly and just after two years he went from playing for Tampa, to competing for a spot in the big leagues. He isn’t here by accident, his stats are impressive, and he is the kind of player we need to start taking a chance on. After just two seasons, he has a .324BA, drove in 96 runs and has a .378OBP. He hasn’t been fooled by minor league pitching, so it is time to see what he can do on the big stage.

Watching the Spring Training games so far, I always see him hustling on the field. I think this kind of energy will be contagious to a veteran team. Right now, a lot of people are writing the Yankees off. We are missing some of the big names so we aren’t expected to do much. Maybe someone with new perspective will give our guys a new drive. A team definitely needs a veteran presence around, but I think it is time that the Yankees need some young blood around. We don’t need superstars, we need believers and good players on our field. I know that Ronnier Mustelier is that kind of player.

We say it all the time here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, and it is time to give the kids a chance to play! I don’t like to see our big names out of the lineup, they are so important to our lineup and they mean a lot to us as fans. The stars won’t be around forever. Eventually, they will step out of the limelight and we need our own talent to step in and start a new legacy. Good teams develop their own talent AND make smart investments. There is a reason why this kid has moved up the ranks as quickly as he has, he has a lot of talent. He has the drive. He has the tools we need to help us succeed…..so the Yankees need to give him a chance. I am crossing my fingers for him, and I really hope that he gets the chance to help our team.

 

 
--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Writer and Editor

Twitter: @NyPrincessJ



 
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