Northport, Florida – and there were two.
DJ lemahieu will need to need two batting this spring to get injured again, so the Yankees' three-base competition realistically leads to Oswald Cabrera and Oswald Peraza.
But with just three weeks left in camp, it appears that Cabrera has an inner lane to win the majority of his reps to 3 base, even if he doesn't say it's Cabrera's job on Sunday, after Lemahieu admits it's likely to take time for fine-tuned calves.
Charles Wenzelberg
“Regardless of what's going on with DJs, I was very imagined Oswald in that mix, especially against right-handed pitching,” Boone said before his 11-1 loss to the Braves at Coolto-Daw Park. “We'll see how it shakes [out]. If that means more playing time for the cab, I don't know. How much is Peraza pushed into the mix as a real option, whether it's a platoon scenario or whatever? We let ourselves play ourselves. And again, it's not just about spring. That's beyond that. ”
In both Cabrera and Peraza, the Yankees know they have a solid defender on 3 bases.
And in reality, if the rest of the lineup is healthy and produce as expected, they should be able to stick their third base hand into the nine holes.
The Yankees place a great value on the versatility of Cabrera.
On Sunday he started with a short stop, where he played in five innings before moving to first base in the next two innings. Peraza started in third place.
But what if Cabrera could provide more consistent production with a more consistent at-base as the first three baseman?
“I feel that's something I can handle,” Cabrera said. “I think I'm ready for that.”
The key to unlocking may prove that he can still switch.
Sometimes last year, Cabrera hit left-handed pitchers.
His division was generally severe.
However, Cabrera spent the offseason, trying to get his rhythm back from the right side (his natural side), fueling the Times last season and not coming to a key spot as a right-handed batsman.
All over the last year, Cabrera hit just .227 with .606 OPS throughout his first 67 games.
However, he finished stronger and hit .292 with .776 OPS in his final 42 games.
Meanwhile, Peraza reached just .216 with .612 OPS in 74 major league games in parts of three seasons.
At the very least, Lemahieu's injury should improve Peraza's chances of creating a roster to begin the season, especially as right-handed batsmen have not left their minor league options.
“I think Oswald still has to get it,” Boone said. “I like how he looks so far. I feel like there's the energy he brings to the field every day. This is important. He really feels like he plays the position well. You're watching his defensive ability show. So far, he's put together a pretty good at-bat. So he's been able to play so many of his selves into the mix. Yeah, things outside of options are important, at least in some way.”
