The New York Yankees quiet offseason may be continuing without third baseman Chase Headley, on whom Yankees brass appears to be "cooling." According to sources close to the team, minor league infielder Rob Refsnyder is gaining momentum within the organization.
"There are a lot of people in [the Yankees'] organization who want to give Refsnyder a shot," the source said. "They think he's [their] best hitter."
In 60 games in Double-A Refsnyder raked at a .342 clip with six home runs and 30 RBI. He moved to Triple A and played 77 games, slashing .300/.389/.456 with eight home runs. In High-A ball he also showed speed, swiping 16 bags in 117 games.
After a dominant 2012 campaign in which Headley slashed .286/.376/.498, he struggled mightily in 2013 and batted .279 with seven home runs in 77 games last year with the Padres before getting traded to the Yankees.
In New York he picked it up, hitting .262 with six home runs, with his true value coming defensively. In 2014 Headley was worth 21.6 runs with his glove per Fangraphs.com. With MLB's increasing emphasis on defense as power numbers dramatically drop, that aspect of his game, coupled with big contracts for Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, have emboldened him to seek a five-year deal.
Should the Yankees decide Headley's price is too high, they will likely shift utility player Martin Prado to third base and play Refsnyder at second. The Yankees will also have Alex Rodriguez back in the mix, but after multiple hip surgeries and a year away from the sport, he may no longer be a viable, everyday third baseman.
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