Why the Yankees Should Target Mike Olt

By -
As we have known for some time, the Yankees don’t have a legitimate backup for Chase Headley at third base. Not only is there no backup, there is no legitimate candidate for the starting third base job in AAA. The White Sox just recently released former first round pick Mike Olt and here is why the Yankees should pick him up.
Photo Via ESPN
More Minor League Depth and a AAA Third Baseman
The Yankees AAA infield is quite thin so they obviously need quality players to fill those roles. Olt could fill in at third and first base when needed and can provide some pop as he hit nine home runs in 59 games for the Cubs AAA team last year. Having depth never hurts and Olt could fill that role.

Backup Third If Rob Refsnyder Can’t Stick
Refsnyder hasn’t gotten many compliments on his second base defense so it’s very possible that Refsnyder’s defense at third will not be glamorous as well. Refsnyder could end up banishing third all together or going to the minors to get more reps at third. I’m a huge Refsnyder fan and I believe from what I’ve seen that he could handle the backup third base job, but if for some reason he can’t, Olt could step into that role just fine.  

An Injury Occurs
Because it’s baseball, injuries occur all the time and if Headley went down with a long term injury we would be left with no one with a lot of third base experience who could step into the everyday role for the time being. Olt currently has 611 MLB innings at third base so he has experience. While I would prefer a better option to start at third base if such an injury did occur, the Yankees could stick the 27-year-old into the position until they could find a better option.

While Olt has really struggled in the Major Leagues (.168 AVG 16 HR in 352 career at bats), but Olt never the less does have MLB experience. While Olt isn’t the best option for a team, he could still provide solid depth and fill in holes down in the minor leagues.

Article by: Julian Bussells
Follow me on twitter @JuneYank6
Follow the BBB on twitter @BronxBomberBlog

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Frankie Crosetti: “King of Rings”

By -
Image
The New York Yankees have long been admired for their brilliant winning pedigree. They’ve won 27 World Series Championships, 40 American League Pennants and produced some of the greatest players the game of baseball has ever seen. They are truly the standard to which all teams in any sport are measured against. They’re the only team in baseball history to win four straight championships (1936-1939) and five straight (1949-1953). For 85 years, the original Yankee Stadium was the most hallowed ground in sports and home of some of the greatest games ever played. In 2009, that tradition continued as the Yankees won title number 27 in their first season at the new Yankee Stadium. Because of the team’s tremendous success, they’ve had players and coaches who have done a tremendous amount of winning (with apologies to Don Mattingly). Babe Ruth won four times, Joe DiMaggio nine, Mickey Mantle seven, and Lou Gehrig six. Then of course you had the man with the greatest sayings in baseball, the i…
Read more

Possible Yankees’ trade targets

By -
Image
The Yankees’ offseason is off to a great start. The club’s main focus all along was to add Gerrit Cole, finally giving New York the true, dominant Ace, they have needed.  In the days following, the team was able to retain veteran outfielder Brett Gardner.  Now, the Yankees could look to the trade market to round out their roster and get set for 2020. Let’s take a look at who could be available and how they could fit in pinstripes.

Read more

Six early trade targets for the New York Yankees

By -
Image
The Yankees currently sit at 32-17 and are on top of the AL East. Despite this, the team has some areas it could improve in; however, Brian Cashman will not have to dig into his pocketbook or pick up the phone to get all the help this team needs. The team is expecting reinforcements off of the IL on both sides of the ball over the course of the next two months, which should give this already successful team an even bigger boost. However, this does not mean the Yankees will be silent on the trade market as more injuries could amount, setbacks can happen, and other teams will acquire big pieces resulting in the Yankees not wanting to fall behind. The Yankees are coming off two consecutive successful regular seasons followed by postseason failures, and still have the minor league talent to swing some game-changing deals. With this in mind, here are six early candidates to keep an eye on as the major league season transitions into the summer months.

Read more