Joe Girardi likely goes on the clock before any NFL team this week — and he will be facing a much more historic conundrum than whether to take Jadeveon Clowney or Johnny Manziel.
Michael Pineda’s 10-game suspension ends Tuesday. The Yankees can return to a 25-man roster. It is likely the addition is going to be Brendan Ryan.
Once that happens, Girardi will have to decide how often Ryan plays shortstop in place of Derek Jeter.
In any other year, that would be a no-brainer. Jeter is among the best hitters ever, certainly on the short list at shortstop. Ryan is among the worst hitters of recent vintage — his .619 OPS is second-worst among active hitters with at least 2,500 plate appearances.
But, at present, Jeter is hitting like Ryan — his .582 OPS ranks 172nd out of 187 qualifiers. And if that is the case and you believe it is going to continue, then there really is no comparison defensively — Ryan is a whiz and Jeter, well, the best you can say is if the ball is hit at him, he will make the play.
Obviously, this is delicate. Jeter is a beloved, historic player and this is his final season, and only the most heartless of Yankees haters would want to see that turn into a funeral march rather than a victory lap. That was the great blessing the Yankees received last year with Mariano Rivera — he was still a high-level closer, so there was never a need to wonder if David Robertson needed to prove he could do the job a year early.
Understanding the explosive nature of the storyline, Brian Cashman told me “I am not going there” in discussing whether Jeter needs to be dropped from No. 2 in the lineup or turned into less than a full-time shortstop or even whether Ryan simply needs to play defense late in games the Yanks lead.
Cashman spoke broadly about there being a number of issues he is focused upon. “I am not going to talk individually about my state of concern about Derek Jeter,” he said. “I don’t want to feed those flames. The questions you are asking have a chance to play out in large, so I am not gong there. We are obviously always analyzing every aspect of the club.”
When I asked, however, whether Girardi has autonomy with who hits where in the lineup and who starts — and who doesn’t — the Yankees general manager responded with one word: “Yes.” So, remember, Girardi was the manager who transitioned Jeter’s pal, Jorge Posada, from catcher to part-time catcher to DH to bottom third of the lineup. All against Posada’s wishes, often to Posada’s fury.
On April 12, Jeter did not start against the Red Sox, and when asked if this was alienating fans who bought tickets hoping to see Jeter for the last time, Girardi made news by saying, “I wasn’t hired to put on a farewell tour.”
After all his time in New York and involved with the Yankees, Girardi still tends to lose his cool and diplomacy when asked questions he doesn’t want to answer, so that tactless response was a window into a subject Girardi sensed he would be dealing with this year, much to his chagrin.
A week later, Girardi again subtly showed winning — not catering to Jeter’s feelings or honoring this goodbye campaign — would be the priority by pinch-running the 40-year-old Ichiro Suzuki for the 39-year-old Jeter, long considered among the game’s best baserunners but now a slower version of his prime self.
Scouts or the naked eye will tell you Jeter is struggling with good fastballs at a time when there are more hard throwers than ever.
Pineda’s suspension has perhaps delayed some diminishment of Jeter’s status. The Yankees have been playing with 24 men and backup shortstop Dean Anna was sent down. Yangervis Solarte’s poorest infield position is shortstop. But the Yankees will not be shorthanded as of Tuesday.
Scouts or the naked eye will tell you Jeter is struggling with good fastballs at a time when there are more hard throwers than ever. He is not driving the ball with any authority (three extra-base hits). Maybe this is about Jeter missing most of last year with that twice-fractured ankle and needing more reps to get into the season. I was among those who thought he was finished as a high-end producer going into 2012, and he wound up with a major league-high 216 hits. So doubt him with caution.
Cashman didn’t name names in saying many veterans on the Yankees are underperforming. We can fill in the blanks beyond Jeter with Carlos Beltran, Brian McCann, Hiroki Kuroda and CC Sabathia. Cashman said, “You want to give veterans ample time to work through the ups and downs of a normal season. You try to make sure you are evaluating on a long-term basis and not overreacting to the short term.”
However, Jeter turns 40 next month. History is cruel to shortstops of that age — just four have even played enough to qualify for the batting title. It is possible his bat and foot speed have declined beyond a breaking point, left him without enough quick-twitch response regardless of his past skill and will.
Thus Girardi faces the unenviable role of playing bad cop, perhaps a lot sooner than later, as rain now looks like the forecast for this farewell tour.