Nor do I believe we are
primed for an Alfonso Soriano return to the Bronx, even if the Chicago Cubs
decide to kick in some salary to move him. But the quest to replace Granderson
is on, a mere two days after Grandy had the rotten luck of getting hit by a
pitch and breaking his arm in his first spring training at-bat.
I expect the Yankees to turn
to one of their internal candidates since his disabled list stint is only
supposed to keep him out for the first five weeks of the regular season. None
of the potential candidates – Juan Rivera, Melky Mesa or Matt Diaz – will put
up Grandy-like numbers, but I’m sure one or a combination of them could hold
down the fort for a month.
The Yankees have been
committed to reducing their payroll and adding another high-priced, aging
player goes against that plan. But a recent report indicated that Hal
Steinbrenner may be spooked by reaction to that plan and indifference toward the
team shown by fans of late, as demonstrated by the empty seats in the ballpark
in October. While I do believe he is willing to pay to keep Robinson Cano after
this season, I don’t think this means Steinbrenner will open up his wallet to
pursue another star outfielder to deal with what is essentially a short-term
problem.
Bottom line, Yankees spring
training games will be worth watching to see which outfielder can step up and
replace Grandy, just for a little while.
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