The next Yankee first basemen

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By: Jerry Culkin

Severino, Sanchez, Jagielo, Clarkin, Judge, Refsnyder, Cave, Banuelos, Lindgren, Torrens. Those are the Yankees top ten prospects. Two of those, Judge and Jagielo, were the cream of the crop of the seven prospects the Yankees sent into the Arizona Fall League. Yet it was the Yankees #11 prospect, Greg Bird, who took home AFL MVP last month. 
Bird, 22, was on his way to the Joe Black MVP when he started the season with a 16-game hitting streak. He was chosen to the Falls All-Star Game were he there also took home Most Valuable Player honors. During his third Bird took the ninth pitch took a 94-mph fastball from Nick Howard 450 feet deep to the batters eye.

Bird has a reputation of being able to take pitchers as he led all of the Minor Leagues, in 2013, with 107 walks. Bird was the leader of the AFL in runs scored with 21 and he was second in hits, RBIs, and total bases and had a line of .313/.391/.556 which was good for sixth, eleventh, and third respectively. 

But what holds for Bird's future? With the trade of Peter O'Brien to Arizona for Martin Prado last summer Bird became the Yankees top first baseman prospect. Bird ended the season with Double-A Trenton and is expected to be promoted to AAA for the beginning of the 2015 campaign.            

With an ETA of 2016 the Yankees will have to decide soon how and if Bird will take over for Mark Teixeira. With various past injuries and a contract that extends until 2016 it is unknown when he will have to make the transition to DH, but it has to be relatively soon. Also, it is unlikely that Brian McCann will be able to hold up behind the plate for all of his 6 year contract that makes him a free agent in 2019.


So it is possible that a trade, platoon, or a move to the bench, which seems doubtful with the money being earned, are the possible scenarios that Brian Cashman will need to evaluate in the coming years as Bird is on the rise

@JerryCulkin

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