Cashman: Yanks down 'big insurance piece' after losing Bird
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Monday that the club expects to pursue internal options to replace slugging first baseman Greg Bird, who the team announced will miss the entire 2016 season due to a torn right shoulder labrum.
Bird, a fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft, battled discomfort in his shoulder in May before being promoted to the big leagues in August, and was advised to undergo surgery when the irritation resurfaced this offseason. Cashman said that despite the club's plans to start Bird at Triple-A this year, the 23-year-old's injury represents a huge blow for an aging roster plagued by various ailments last season.
"We've lost an important piece that benefited us greatly last year when (Mark Teixeira) went down," Cashman said. "We're optimistic that in the surgery and rehab, expectations will be that it'll go well and (Bird) will be ready to go in 2017. Obviously we're down a big insurance piece for 2016."
| 2015 | GP | HR | AVG | OPS | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Teixeira | 111 | 31 | .255 | .906 | 2.9 |
| Dustin Ackley | 108 | 10 | .231 | .712 | -0.6 |
| Greg Bird | 46 | 11 | .261 | .871 | 0.9 |
Bird hit 11 homers with an .871 OPS in 46 games after Teixeira suffered a season-ending leg fracture in September, finishing second among rookies with at least 150 plate appearances in both isolated power (.268) and weighted runs created plus (137). Despite Bird's impressive debut - which included a dramatic multi-homer effort against the Twins in August - Cashman reiterated Monday that Dustin Ackley was and remains the primary backup to Teixeira this season.
"We'll continue to scour the market for protection at Triple-A," Cashman said. "I would rather try to stay in the arena of guys that have handled the position rather than audition people. The season will take us where it takes us, and we'll have to see how it all plays out."