Yankee Farm: The Shortstop Issue

As all in Christendom and most of the Muslim world realize Derek Jeter is hanging them up at the end of the year.   Now, while this has been on the horizon for years, just as Jorge's eventual retirement was, the Yankee system is not currently prepared to offer a solution for next year.  Perhaps a bandage, if we can find another Solarte for the role, but nothing inexpensive of home grown.

I'm not putting this in the draft series, because it's a failure over many drafts, many IFA classes and many trade seasons.   It's a little amazing that the Yanks have not been able to come up with an heir apparent.   They came up with one for DiMaggio.   Had one on hand for Berra.   Never really had one for Gehrig, though his tragic end was a surprise.  Had a series of them for Combs, including Chapman then DiMaggio.  And it tool them 3 years to get an all-star back in right after Ruth left.   Though, they still haven't replaced Ruth, they've had a bunch off all-stars and some MVP's doing his old job.

Jeter's going to be a tough one and may require bandages, lots of them.  Because the most likely guy they have to replace him is Abiatal Avelino.  And a lot can go wrong between there and MLB.  Tyler Webb is another guy who can probably stay at SS and maybe make it.   There latest big money pick, Austin Aune seems to be joining the ranks of Carmen Angelini and Garrison Lassiter on the organizational scrapheap of poor little millionaires.

When Jeter's career was just beginning it looked like the Yankees always intended to have a prospect at the ready should he go down.  Guys like Christian Guzman, whom they traded, and Erick Almonte, who hit a homer in his first big league game then faded.   They also had really high hopes for Eduardo Nunez after rookie ball, but he never got any better.  He never became a consistent fielder, though he was as capable of making a great play as he was of flubbing an easy one.  And Nunez never learned the strike zone, after graduating from the leagues where he could hit everything.   So he was a development disaster.

It's just sort of amazing that they haven't thrown a ton of picks at it or a ton of IFA bucks at it.

Apparently, they're going to sign 3 or 4 toolsy SS's in IFA come July, but they'll be behind Abiatal and Webb, as well as the ever thickening mystery that is Cito Culver, who had one bad game, and one very good game including his first homer of the year in today's double header.   That's two days in a row where he's been a little productive.  He may be starting one of his runs.   That would be a really good thing for the Yanks.    For that matter Bichette hit another one today, and so did Bird.   Nice.  So did Judge.