Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
June 30, 2008
Sour Melk?

The Yankees are calling up Brett Gardner today.

Brett Gardner is joining the Yankees today. I saw this first on Chad Jennings's Yankees blog in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Times Tribune, but Gardner also spoke to his hometown paper, the Times and Democrat, about finally getting the callup.

No word what the corresponding move is. It could be something with Justin Christian, or perhaps Alberto Gonzalez. I'm guessing Melky Cabrera will be losing some playing time, though. His offense has not been as good as the Yankees would have hoped this season.

Gardner has little power but a great minor league OBA. He's a year older than Cabrera as well. Melky, however, is close to the 1500 PA mark for his major league career, at which point we get a pretty good idea of how he performs. As much as I like Cabrera, I'm not surprised the Yankees might look for another option.

Of course, with Matsui on the DL and Damon's foot hurting, both youngsters could play and Johnny DH. With Abreu likely leaving at the end of the year, there will be a spot open in the outfield for 2009.


Posted by David Pinto at 12:32 PM | Rookies | TrackBack (0)
Comments

Melky's still young enough to improve, but so far his numbers bespeak a classic fourth outfielder: good defense, questionable bat. At his best, he's had an okay batting average, but no power and a marginal OBA. I don't know if Gardner is the answer, but Cabrera has had a good long chance to establish himself and he hasn't done so.

Posted by: jvwalt at June 30, 2008 02:31 PM

Never heard of Brett Gardner, so I scrounged around Wikipedia and other places. Found a nice picture of him bunting for a base hit in the minors.

Anyhoo, he really doesn't look like the protoypical Yankee corner outfielder. In fact, he looks like a time traveler from one of those Whitey Herzog Cardinals teams in the '80s. Steals bases, draws walks, hits triples, runs runs runs.

He did manage a .400+ SLG in AAA this year, mostly thanks to doubles and triples. If he plays at all, he should get a few three-baggers up the gaps at Yankee Stadium.

Posted by: Casey Abell at June 30, 2008 03:21 PM

Where's the post from spring training about how Melkman's goign to crack 80xbh this year?

Posted by: Bandit at July 1, 2008 04:00 PM
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