New York Yankees Looking Outside the Organization for Answers at Second and Third Base
With spring training fast approaching, the New York Yankees still have holes to fill at second and third base after they traded away Starlin Castro and Chase Headley in December.
They do have several in-house options with top prospects like Miguel Andújar, Gleyber Torres, Ronald Torreyes, Tyler Wade and Thairo Estrada eagerly waiting for the opportunity to make an impact in the majors, but MLB Network's Bryan Hoch thinks there's a good chance the Yankees may look outside the organization.
"More likely, one of those positions will be manned by someone not currently in the organization. The Yankees expressed interest in the Orioles' Manny Machado and have been in contact with free agent third baseman Todd Frazier. A reunion with Eduardo Nunez is another option," Hoch said in his report.
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Every team seems to be eyeing three-time All-Star Manny Machado, but interestingly, Hoch also mentioned two former Yankees as options at second and third base.
Frazier was briefly a member of the Yankees after the Chicago White Sox shipped him to New York in July 2017. He has previously talked about his desire to stay with the team, but NJ Advance Media's Brendan Kuty has recently reported that he's asking for a multiyear contract. That could be a problem for the Yankees because they want to stay under the luxury tax threshold next season.
Núñez was with the Yankees from 2010 to 2013, and he has developed into a reliable starter since he left.
"Nunez is a much more cost-effective option than Manny Machado or Todd Frazier," Neil Harrington said in his column for Call to the Pen.
"Eduardo Nunez is, somehow, the hidden gem of the 2018 MLB free agency period. If he stays healthy, the sky is the limit for the free agent third basemen/infielder," he added.
Núñez was named to the All-Star game in 2016.
