GM FOR A DAY: 3 PLAYERS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The Yankees have glaring holes right now. They need plugging immediately, and they need to be of good quality. Although the Bombers have gotten good play from their finds off of the junk heap, trades now need to be made. Get the cart up and running, so to speak.

First Base and Third Base are huge holes. Not only that, Starting Pitching needs to be shored up. If the Yankees are to get some help, these are the spots to fill. Who are the best options? Sifting through season stats and possibilities, these are the options that rose to the surface. Were I the GM, I would look into these three players:

First Base: Matt Adams

Mark Teixeira is done for the season. Lyle Overbay seems to be out of gas. The Yankees aren’t going anywhere without a quality First Baseman. They should go after Matt Adams of the Saint Louis Cardinals.

I know what you’re thinking, Adams is the future for the Cards, no way they trade him. But right now, Adams is stalled behind Allen Craig and Matt Carpenter. The 24 year old must be straining at the leash to play, and there is no doubt this kid could shine in Yankee Stadium.

In ninety at bats, Adams has a slash line of .311/.354/.522 with 4 homers. He is capable of steady production from First. Better yet, he’s young. Should the Yankees conceivably snag him, Matt would be the 1B guy of the future. Tex has wound down, whether or not we want to face it.

Third Base: Aramis Ramirez

Milwaukee is probably going to have to blow up this team. All of their stars will be available, especially if/when Ryan Braun is suspended for banned substances. This makes Aramis Ramirez very appealing to New York.

Ramirez has had a tough June, but is showing signs of life Lately. He is batting .273 this season with 5 homers. Pinstripes would work their magic on him, and he is a better option at the Hot Corner than anybody else the Yankees have. That short porch would make his mouth water.

Sign Ramirez and let David Adams mature. It does not at all seem as if ARod will or should be part of any kind of solution.

Starting Pitcher: Ian Kennedy

Obviously, this one’s a long shot. But one worth looking into. And how nice would it be to see him in Pinstripes as was originally intended? The sticking point is that he is the star centerpiece of the Arizona Diamondbacks rotation. The D-Backs are playing well and would seem unlikely suitors.

But Kennedy has had a bit of an off season. Just shy of 85 innings pitched this year, Ian Kennedy has won 3 games, lost 4 others, and inflated his ERA to 5.21. Yet he has still managed to ring up 73 strikeouts.

Also he has been displaying quite a nasty streak of late. He was recently slapped with a 10 game suspension for beaning Yaisel Puig and Zack Grienke in June. This after getting suspended 6 games for throwing over Billy Butler’s head in 2011.

This might make Arizona amenable to listening to offers. You cannot help but know that Kennedy could all but certainly re-gain his former glory in Yankee Stadium. Where, many would say, he was meant to be.

So, were I the Yankees GM for a day and given the choice of three guys to turn things around, these are the three I would go after. What do you think? Comment.


Chad R. MacDonald
BYB Writer
Facebook: New York Yankees the Home of Champions
My Blog: ChadRants


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