« Hank Stein: Joba, Hughes & Kennedy Are Staying | Main | HankdeStein Jr. »

November 08, 2007

Yanks Should Bat Melky Second, Abreu Fourth, In 2008

I’ve read where the Yankees have said that Damon/Jeter/Abreu will be the top of their batting order in 2008. That’s fine. But, who bats after them next year – in the clean-up spot? Even the Yankees probably don’t know the answer to that one yet.

Hideki Matsui? No, he’s too streaky to be considered a true clean-up batter. When he’s cold, he’ll kill you if he’s batting clean-up.

Jorge Posada? Well, first you have to sign him. Secondly, as a catcher, he gets one day off a week – and you don’t want to lose your fourth batter once a week. Plus, Posada is not really a clean-up hitter. He’s more suited to bat somewhere around sixth.

Jason Giambi? Granted, the Yankees claim that he’s going to play some share of first base next year. However, Giambi is brittle. And, Giambi has pretty big issues with left-handed pitching these days. And, he can no longer get around on an above average fastball. Saying that you’re fine with Jason Giambi being your clean-up hitter in 2008 is like saying you’re fine with Britney Spears’ ability to be a good mother for your children.

Robinson Cano? That’s a lot of pressure to put on his shoulders. And, I’m not sure that you want Cano pressing. If you want to bat him fifth next year, I would be fine with that move. And, maybe, someday, he can be a number-three hitter. But, fourth? No, not now.

Who does that leave? Melky Cabrera and whoever plays third next year. Assuming that A-Rod really is done in the Bronx, and that the Yankees do not trade for Miguel Cabrera, there’s no chance that Melky or the next guy at the hot corner will be the Yankees clean-up batter next season.

Perhaps it makes sense for the Yankees to try and get a stick at first base that they can trust – and who could be a middle of the line-up batter next season? Maybe trade for someone who would be a free agent in a year or two – and that would be the reason why he’d be available? No luck there. I looked and there’s really no one out there, who’s decent, that fits this mold.

At this point, I would suggest that the Yankees consider batting Melky Cabrera second, where his batting eye and bat handling skills can be used behind Damon, and then slide Jeter down to the third spot in the line-up (which Derek can handle) – and then have Bobby Abreu bat clean-up (in 2008). You can follow that with Cano, Matsui, Posada, Giambi (or whoever plays first) and the new third baseman.

Abreu is not the classic clean-up hitter – because he’s only good for 15 homers or so. But, he’s pretty consistent with the bat. And, he gets a lot of doubles. In fact, over the last two seasons, Abreu has done a better job than A-Rod and Big Papi, percentage-wise, in terms of driving home base runners.

Making these moves would be the best course of action for this situation. Would you agree?

Posted by Steve Lombardi at November 8, 2007 09:24 AM

Comments

the melk man is kind of streaky as well...why not try cano in the 3 hole? I'd venture to say he's the best hitter on the team (aside from the first half of 07), and the 3rd hole is usually reserved for your best hitter no?

Damon
Jeter
Cano
Abreu
Posada
Giambi
Phillips(or another 3B)
melky

i liked having speed on both side of the lineup card

Posted by: Corey [TypeKey Profile Page] at November 8, 2007 02:10 PM

Abreu sees a zillion pitches, and is generally an on base machine. The higher in the order he bats the better. You make a good point about there not being any good options for cleanup, but I think it's a mistake to bat a guy whose going to put up .400+ OBB and see over 4.3 pitches per plate appearence that late in the order. For 2008, the 3 hole makes a lot of sense. Call me crazy, but I think he's an ideal leadoff hitter.

Posted by: NC Saint [TypeKey Profile Page] at November 8, 2007 07:34 PM