New York Yankees: Should Bombers Consider Trading Eduardo Nunez?
March 2, 2013 · Doug Rush · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
For the last several years, everyone keeps waiting for Eduardo Nunez to get a shot at being a regular in the New York Yankees everyday lineup.
Ever since being called up during the 2010 season, he’s served as mostly a utility infielder and defensive replacement with the occasional start.
But from the comments that Yankees GM Brian Cashman made to New York Post‘s Mike Ramondi, it doesn’t really seem like Nunez is going to be a starter anytime soon for the team.
“I’ve had a lot of people say, you’ve got to get 500 at-bats for this guy, find a position for him as if he’s some sort of offensive juggernaut.”
Cashman pointed out that Nunez had just a .678 on-base-plus-slugging percentage as a minor leaguer.
“That’s not a great offensive player,” Cashman said.
Usually, teams and their general managers hype up their up and coming players, but Cashman really doesn’t seem to be going that way with the 25-year-old.
What has hurt Nunez as a professional is his lack of defense and making some blunders in the field.
Before seeing him, a lot of fans thought Nunez could be the heir to Derek Jeter at shortstop whenever the Yankees captain decides to hang it up for good.
Hell, back in July of 2010, the Yankees nearly had a trade with the Seattle Mariners for Cliff Lee, but the deal fell apart because the Yankees didn’t want to part with Nunez.
That’s how high the Yankees used to think of him.
Now, Nunez is lucky if Joe Girardi puts him into games because he’s seen as a liability out on the field.
That being said, Nunez is still a very young player who might have value elsewhere to another team, and it might be time Cashman thinks about trading him.
If the Yankees don’t see Nunez as an everyday player, then I think it’s time he gets a little bit of value back in a deal and gives Nunez a chance to be an everyday player elsewhere.
I’m sure there’s some team out there in baseball who wouldn’t mind giving one of their starting infield spots to Nunez, who has shown in the past that he can swing a decent bat.
Nunez hit a big solo home run in Game 3 of the 2012 ALCS against Tigers ace Justin Verlander in the top of the ninth inning back in October that pulled the game to 2-1.
Some felt with the injury to Curtis Granderson in which the left fielder broke his forearm on a hit by pitch this past week, Girardi and Cashman might insert Nunez into the outfield and try him there.
But they have no interest in making Nunez an everyday outfielder on this team.
To me, it just shows that the Yankees don’t see Nunez as part of their future like they once did.
And if that’s the case, then for any opposing GM’s who have interest in Nunez, now would be a good time to call the Yankees to strike a deal.
It would be better to do it now than waste away a young talent on the bench during the time of his career when he would be breaking in as a starter.
With the Yankees, I don’t think Eduardo Nunez will ever be the star some thought.
Somewhere else, he very well could get that opportunity.
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