Jimmy Rollins, Elvis Andrus or Alexei Ramirez: Who Is Best Derek Jeter Heir?
November 10, 2014 · Jason Catania · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Entering the 2014-15 Major League Baseball offseason, the New York Yankees are in a position they’ve been wholly unfamiliar with for more or less 20 years—on two accounts. First, they’re coming off a second straight season without reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1992-93. And second, they’re looking for a new shortstop, a position that was occupied by future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter since Opening Day in 1996.
But with the longtime captain’s [SPOILER ALERT!] retirement, it’s time for the Yankees to address the latter problem with the hopes of finding a solution to the former one. That is to say, if New York can bring in the right shortstop, whether via trade or free agency, it would go a long way toward helping the team get back to October.
Two candidates being mentioned on the trade front are Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies and Elvis Andrus of the Texas Rangers, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post echoes the Yankees’ reported interest in Andrus, although the risks are apparent:
The Yankees would have to feel Andrus is a buy-low candidate whose downturn on both sides of the ball in 2014 was reversible and that, at 26, his best years are ahead of him.
Andrus’ eight-year, $120 million extension does not even begin until next season and runs through at least 2022.
Rollins, who has the right to veto any trade as a 10-and-five player (10 years in MLB, five with the same team), comes with his own set of question marks, including his advancing age (36 on Nov. 27), declining defense and the fact that he’s only under contract through 2015 at $11 million. He would be a short-term fix at best.
The other name that has been bandied about of late? Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox, as Bruce Levine of CBS Chicago reports. The New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers are also interested in Ramirez, so the Yankees would have some heavy competition for his services.
Ramirez brings quality, consistency and durability, as Levine writes: “Since 2009, Ramirez is the American League leader among shortstops in RBIs, hits, total bases and games played.”
Here’s a quick comparison of these three based on their 2014 seasons, along with their ranks among all qualifying shortstops in each category:
While these three are the most recent and relevant Jeter-replacement candidates given the chatter, the Yankees’ options are not limited to just Andrus, Rollins and Ramirez.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports lists a number of other shortstops, from free agents Hanley Ramirez, Jed Lowrie and Stephen Drew to trade candidates like Starlin Castro of the Chicago Cubs, Didi Gregorius of the Arizona Diamondbacks and, of course, Troy Tulowitzki.
While the Colorado Rockies star is injury-prone, having averaged just 88 games the past three years, and owed a fortune—at least $118 million through 2020, to be exact—replacing Jeter with a stud like Tulowitzki would be a very “Yankees” move. Whether that makes it a smart move, though, is another discussion.
Korean shortstop Jung-Ho Kang, although lesser known and obviously less experienced in MLB, also could be someone the Yankees consider, assuming the 27-year-old is posted this offseason, per Brendan Kuty of NJ.com.
All that said, the suggestion here is that the top choice—certainly between Rollins, Andrus and Ramirez and perhaps even ahead of any of the others above—would be Ramirez.
He’s the best combination of age (33) and proven performance both offensively and defensively, having won the Silver Slugger at short (see video) and having been one of the three AL Gold Glove finalists. And his contract is reasonable in terms of price and years, as he’s owed $10 million for each of 2015 and 2016 (with a $1 million buyout on the latter season).
The relative dearth of talent at shortstop means the Yankees, who haven’t had to worry about the position in two decades, might have a good amount of options, but not many who are actually good options.
Among the realistic possibilities to take over for Jeter that are being thrown out there in reports and speculation, Ramirez should be the top target.
The price of acquisition won’t be cheap, especially with other big-market clubs in the mix. The White Sox are in the market for pitching, so New York might have to part with a young arm or two, like Shane Greene and Manny Banuelos, or even top prospect Luis Severino.
But given the hole created by Jeter’s retirement, the Yankees would do well to make it a priority to solidify the position with an All-Star-caliber player for multiple seasons at a team-friendly rate.
Ramirez checks all those boxes, which would help the Yankees work toward checking off the box that reads: Get back to the postseason.
Statistics are accurate through the 2014 season and courtesy of MLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
To talk baseball or fantasy baseball, check in with me on Twitter: @JayCat11.
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