HOUSTON — It wasn’t that long ago Eduardo Nunez was viewed by the Yankees as a possible successor to Derek Jeter.
When Brian Cashman needed a 40-man roster spot Tuesday for Yangervis Solarte, the GM designated Nunez for assignment. What it came down to was the Yankees believed Dean Anna and Solarte, who was in spring training on a minor league deal, could help the team more than the 26-year-old Nunez.
Cashman has 10 days to trade or release Nunez, who has to move through waivers. If Nunez isn’t traded, released or claimed, he could be sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
“I know he wants to play in the big leagues, but it had less to do with Eduardo than what Dean Anna and Solarte showed this spring,’’ Cashman said of the two infielders whose ability to play second base better than Nunez was the deciding factor. “These guys provided us with choices, and we made those choices.’’
Defensive lapses, often on routine plays, haunted Nunez throughout his stay with the Yankees, which consisted of 270 games from 2010 to 2013.
What Nunez provided the Yankees was a live bat (.267 average) and body, but injuries and leaky defense were hard to ignore. And when the Yankees signed backup shortstop Brendan Ryan to a two-year, $5 million deal this past offseason, it was clear Nunez would have to show enough at third or second to stick. Obviously, he didn’t.
“We came to spring training fully expecting Eduardo Nunez to be one of our options at the big league level,’’ Cashman said. “The other guys also revealed that they also were, ‘Hey look at me.’ ”
On Saturday, the Yankees optioned Nunez to Triple-A. On Monday, they essentially told him there is no room for him.
And it wasn’t an April Fools’ joke.
The Astros will honor Derek Jeter in a pre-game ceremony Wednesday night. Former Yankee teammates Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Chuck Knoblauch, Charlie Hayes and Mike Stanton are expected to be on hand.
Ryan was officially placed on the DL Tuesday with a neck issue that could keep him out for a while. Ryan, who hasn’t played since early March, is in Tampa rehabbing.
“I don’t think he is doing baseball activities yet,’’ Joe Girardi said.
Jacoby Ellsbury’s right calf problem that hindered him in the second half of March doesn’t appear to be a concern to Girardi.
“I feel good about it, he hasn’t talked about it,’’ Girardi said of his leadoff hitter and center fielder.
It doesn’t sound as if Girardi is ready to relegate 40-year-old Ichiro Suzuki to defensive replacement/pinch-runner status yet.
“With some of the age of our outfielders and wanting to keep them fresh, we could have a pretty good rotation here,’’ Girardi said.
Girardi used Ichiro in center field late in spring training, which many believed was a case of the Yankees showcasing Ichiro for a trade.