Pronk In The Bronx?

Posted by Steve L. on January 30th, 2013 · Comments (17)

Yankees, Hafner Could Be Nearing Deal.

Give us your old, broken down, likely former juicers…

Filed under Roster Moves · ·

Comments on Pronk In The Bronx?

MJ Recanati

January 30th, 2013 | 1:46 pm

Considering the fact that he sports a career .287/.391/.534 line against LHP (and a decent .257/.359/.445 line vs. RHP), I don’t see why this is treated as a bad move.

The Yankees need to add more righties to their lineup. Even still, a player that has gone .259/.353/.436 over the past five injury-plagued seasons is a potentially valuable player in a part-time role for the Yanks.
Steve L.

January 30th, 2013 | 1:53 pm

He can only DH ‘tho. Given the Yankees already shitty bench, can they afford to carry a faces only righties DH on their roster?

Then again, they are going to need someone to PH for their catcher a few times a week…
MJ Recanati

January 30th, 2013 | 2:01 pm

Steve L. wrote:

[C]an they afford to carry a “faces only righties” DH on their roster?

As I indicated above, he’s not a strictly platoon guy given that he sports a respectable .804 career OPS vs. LHP.
Steve L.

January 30th, 2013 | 2:04 pm

Visions of Nick Johnson, circa 2010, dance in my head.
MJ Recanati

January 30th, 2013 | 2:08 pm

Steve L. wrote:

Visions of Nick Johnson, circa 2010, dance in my head.

Nick Johnson makes Travis Hafner look durable. And if Hafner gets injured, someone else will get an opportunity. We’re splitting hairs here; the 24th roster spot isn’t worth all this angst.
77yankees

January 30th, 2013 | 2:30 pm

I rolled my eyes at the Ibanez signing last winter, and look how that turned out.

Like the saying goes, have no expectations & you won’t be disappointed.
MJ Recanati

January 30th, 2013 | 2:41 pm

77yankees wrote:

I rolled my eyes at the Ibanez signing last winter, and look how that turned out.Like the saying goes, have no expectations & you won’t be disappointed.

Yep.
Greg H.

January 30th, 2013 | 4:18 pm

@ MJ Recanati:
Ditto. And really, just the nickname is worth it for me. Can’t wait to see what Sterling does with this one.
Greg H.

January 30th, 2013 | 4:18 pm

Pronk’s Bombers?
#15

January 30th, 2013 | 5:01 pm

These Yankees are making me sleepy.
Raf

January 30th, 2013 | 5:36 pm

MJ Recanati wrote:

We’re splitting hairs here; the 24th roster spot isn’t worth all this angst.

Exactly
Joseph Maloney

January 30th, 2013 | 10:08 pm

I think I have to agree with Steve here. The last thing this team needs is a 35 year old who doesn’t play the field. I assume the team will carry 13 pitchers which leaves 12 position players. We have 7 regulars, two God-awful catchers and now we add a DH who hasn’t played the field in years (this is why Ibanez example is not valid, Ibanez did play the field before coming to the Yankees). We have a utility infielder who can’t field, and stupidly was not converted to an outfielder. So we are going to have one bench player who may actually be able to play defense. This is on a team with an injury prone third baseman, a shortstop coming off a very serious ankle injury, a first baseman who has shown signs of decline and a leftfielder who spent almost the entire season on the DL.
Raf

January 30th, 2013 | 11:35 pm

Joseph Maloney wrote:

this is why Ibanez example is not valid, Ibanez did play the field before coming to the Yankees

Ibañez was signed to DH.
http://assets.sbnation.com/imported_assets/34751/28akex2_jpg_medium.gif
Raf

January 31st, 2013 | 12:12 am

Steve L. wrote:

Visions of Nick Johnson, circa 2010, dance in my head.

The now retired Nick Johnson… Still amazed at his season in Norwich, makes you wonder what could have been.
MJ Recanati

January 31st, 2013 | 9:20 am

Joseph Maloney wrote:

this is why Ibanez example is not valid, Ibanez did play the field before coming to the Yankees

Hafner played the field too. Ibanez played the field because he was in the NL before coming to the Yankees. Had Gardner not gotten hurt, he never would’ve played out there and, frankly, given how poor of a fielder he is, he never should’ve played anyway.

Point is: Hafner may not have a true position on the field but that’s never stopped the Yankees before (Marcus Thames, Raul Ibanez). If he can hit enough to justify his existence as a part-time player, there’s no reason not to do this.
Joseph Maloney

January 31st, 2013 | 6:38 pm

Raf wrote:

Joseph Maloney wrote:this is why Ibanez example is not valid, Ibanez did play the field before coming to the YankeesIbañez was signed to DH.
http://assets.sbnation.com/imported_assets/34751/28akex2_jpg_medium.gif

Come On Raf, you’re better than this. Ibanez was an outfielder for the Phils who was signed by the Yanks to be their DH. He played over 130 games in the outfield in 2011. When the Yankees needed a leftfielder he was available. What we have here is a DH, that’s all he is. How many years has it been since he played the field. I can’t see how a team with the injury and age issues the Yankees havecan afford to give roster spots to Hafner and Nunez.
Raf

January 31st, 2013 | 11:32 pm

Joseph Maloney wrote:

Ibanez was an outfielder for the Phils who was signed by the Yanks to be their DH. He played over 130 games in the outfield in 2011. When the Yankees needed a leftfielder he was available.

The point was that Ibañez was a lousy OF’er, coming off back to back poor defensive seasons with the Phillies. The Yanks signed him primarily to DH. Gardner’s injury was the only reason he got into so many games.

Same as when Jack Clark was signed. He was to DH but injuries caused him to see time in the field, more than he or the organization would’ve liked.