MLB

Yankees have few quality options left at third base

The Yankees know Alex Rodriguez — barring a legal long shot — won’t be at third base this year. Finding a suitable replacement, though, won’t be easy.

With Saturday’s ruling by independent arbitrator Fredric Horowitz that Rodriguez would be suspended for 162 games and the postseason in 2014, the Yankees finally can move forward with figuring out who will take the 38-year-old’s spot.

Mark Reynolds and Michael Young, both free agents, have been the two names most associated with the Yankees this offseason, but neither are exciting options. Nor is 38-year-old Placido Polanco, who spent last season with the Marlins.

Sources have said the Yankees remain uninterested in Stephen Drew, who only has played shortstop in the majors but may be willing to move — especially with Derek Jeter’s uncertain future at short. Though the Yankees have long liked San Diego’s Chase Headley, they have been unable to pry him from the Padres in the past. He is coming off a down year after an excellent 2012 and will be a free agent after next season.

On their current roster, Eduardo Nunez and Kelly Johnson both have experience at the position, with Johnson playing 16 games there last season and Nunez 14. Reynolds and Young have played the position more, but neither are known for their glove and have slipped badly at the plate in recent years.

Nevertheless, the Yankees have remained in contact with Reynolds throughout the offseason and made a push for Young near the trade deadline last season, but couldn’t strike a deal with the Phillies after Young waived his no-trade clause. Both veteran corner infielders remain available and with the suspension, the Yankees are set to save more than $24 million.

While the Yankees have spent freely to upgrade other parts of their lineup with the addition Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury, they waited for some clarity on Rodriguez’s status before making any deals.

Now they have a better idea of what their payroll look like, though they continue to wait for the Masahiro Tanaka sweepstakes to play out. Japanese media reported Saturday the 25-year-old right-hander had returned to Japan after travelling to Los Angeles to have a physical and meet with teams. The Yankees were expected to talk to Tanaka and his agent Casey Close, but the White Sox were the only team to acknowledge a meeting took place.

Clearly, the Yankees would like to avoid a repeat of last season, when their plans of having Kevin Youkilis fill in until Rodriguez’s return from offseason hip surgery fell apart as Youkilis was unable to stay healthy.

Instead, they had to turn to a seemingly unending rotation of journeymen, as the likes of Jayson Nix, Chris Nelson, Brent Lillibridge, David Adams, Luis Cruz and Alberto Gonzalez were all called upon.

With Rodriguez turning 39 in July, the possibility of him ever playing third base for the Yankees again is doubtful at best, and they don’t have a surefire prospect on the horizon.