Neil Walker's time is running out
Late in the offseason,
the Yanks made a minor splash in signing veteran infielder Neil Walker, shoring
up the team’s depth in the infield. So far, the deal just hasn’t worked itself
out, as Walker’s late start to his spring training has ultimately affected his play.
His one-year, $4 million deal was a low-risk deal that hasn’t paid off and
possibly won’t have the potential to do so.
Already nearing the
month of May, Yankees fans are still waiting for the second baseman’s bat to
wake up. A career .271 hitter with 130 homers under his belt, Walker hasn’t
been able to stay above the Mendoza line for virtually the entire season thus
far. Through 15 games played and 60 ABs, he’s registered just 11 hits (.183 BA)
to go alongside the lowly amount of two extra-base hits, each of which were doubles.
Walker is coming off a season where he played for both the Brewers and the
crosstown-rival Mets, combining to slash .265/.362/.439 with 14 homers and 49
RBIs. Just two seasons ago, in 2016, Walker hit 23 homers with a .282
batting average for the Mets. Walker’s always been a slightly below-average
defender with an above-average bat, but both parts of his game have been
disappointing this year. Just less than a month in, Walker has registered a -0.3
offensive WAR and a -0.3 WAR on defense, combining for an overall WAR of -0.6.
With Gleyber Torres getting called up Sunday and likely here to stay, there may not be a spot on the roster
for Walker. Torres, along with starters Didi Gregorius, Tyler Austin and Miguel Andujar plus utility man Ronald Torreyes having roster spots locked up already, plus the impending return of Brandon Drury from injury, the Yanks are maxed out in the infield and don't need to carry seven infielders. The roster crunch only gets tighter once Greg Bird returns to the team from the DL. Drury will begin rehabbing this week and could rejoin the team as early as next week, and Bird should be back here within the next month. Walker’s ability to play first
base has saved him in that a large part of the team’s depth at that position
has been plagued from injury due to Billy McKinney and Bird going down.
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| Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz/USA TODAY Sports |
My personal opinion is
that Walker deserves a bit of a break from Yankees fans, having not signed with
the team until late in the offseason. Walker is an established, proven veteran
that should be able to turn around this rough start to the season, but if he
doesn’t do that soon, his time with the Yanks won’t even last into the All-Star
break. That’s especially true when you consider that Adam Lind, re-signed to a
minor league contract last week, would likely be an upgrade over Walker at this
point.
The point being is that
Walker’s track record suggests he’ll bounce back, but the Yankees might not ultimately have room on the roster for that to come to fruition. Walker's veteran leadership could help the development of guys
like Torres and Andujar, but the time is now for him to shed the scapegoat
label. If Walker is still hitting this way come May, then the
Yanks would be wise to part ways with him.
All stats via Baseball Reference.
Article by: Spencer Schultz
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