The Alex Rodriguez saga appears to be a long way from a resolution, which means the New York Yankees have a gaping hole in their lineup. If A-Rod’s suspension is upheld, the Yankees will begin the 2014 season without a third baseman. In order to fill that void, they are looking into the possibility of trading for St. Louis Cardinals infielder David Freese.
Freese, who established himself as one of the greatest clutch hitters in baseball during the 2011 World Series, is coming off a down year. He hit .262 with just nine home runs and 60 RBI. According to the NY Daily News, the Cardinals want to shift Matt Carpenter from second base to third to make room for top prospect Kolten Wong, who you may remember from this epic flub in Game 4 of the World Series.
Because of his mediocre stats in 2013, Freese likely wouldn’t cost the Yankees much and could be a great insurance policy if Rodriguez is out. Yankees president Randy Levine said the team fully expects A-Rod to be available on Opening Day.
“We are under the impression that he’s going to come back,” Levine said. “That’s the way we’ve budgeted it. That’s the way we think. We have no control over that and we’ve never had any control. That process is going on and it will be over with by the end of the year. That’s what I’m told.”
We all know it may not be that simple. And even if it was, Rodriguez will turn 39 next season and has been plagued by hip issues. New York may have no choice but to turn him into a $30 million designated hitter. The 30-year-old Freese, a career .286 hitter and great performer in October, would be a nice addition either way.
