New York Yankees

Yankees Need to Upgrade Power Production at Third Base

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The hot corner stands out as a potential area the New York Yankees could look to upgrade for 2017 after another just-OK season from Chase Headley.

New York Yankees third baseman Chase Headley rebounded from a miserable April to put together a sneaky-good 2016 season. Unfortunately, like too many players on the current roster, the vast majority of his value comes from his glove.

Most pundits expect the team to deal one of their defense-first outfielders this winter (probably Brett Gardner) in order to slot another power hitter into the Yankees anemic lineup. The hot corner seems like another area where they could make a similar upgrade.

Headley recovered from his 2015 throwing yips and put together an excellent season with the glove, finishing eighth among MLB third baseman with 1.1 defensive WAR according to Baseball-Reference.

Unfortunately, his overall batting line was almost identical to his disappointing performance at the plate last year. In 2015, he hit .259/.324/.369 (90 OPS+) with 11 homers and this season he put up a .251/.329/.383 (90 OPS+) slash line with 14 homers. His numbers were slightly better, but only before adjusting for the friendlier offensive environment in 2016.

Among third basemen with at least 100 games played over the last two seasons, Chase Headley’s combined .375 slugging percentage ranks a stunning 34th and his 25 homers is tied for 24th. The position is not the defense-first position it used to be, many of the game’s best sluggers now play the hot corner.

One player that stands out as a huge upgrade over Headley offensively is upcoming free agent Justin Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Turner’s .492 slugging percentage ranks sixth among all third basemen the last two years and his 43 homers ranks 10th.

Turner is a late-bloomer who didn’t really break out until age 28 after four seasons of part time work with the Orioles and Mets. The last three years he’s been one of the best all-around third baseman in the game. This season was his best yet, hitting .275/.339/.493 (124 OPS+) with a career-high 27 home runs in 622 PA for the Dodgers.

He’s no slouch with the glove either, his 0.9 defensive WAR puts him right behind Headley this season. As an added bonus, Turner can handle first, second, and shortstop if needed.

Back in August, Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors speculated that Turner would land something between Ben Zobrist‘s four year $56 million and Adrian Beltre‘s five years $80 million. If the Yankees could land him for something like four years $60-70 million, it would probably be a smart signing.

New York’s farm system doesn’t offer any immediate alternatives to Headley, and Turner’s versatility means he won’t necessarily be blocking anyone long-term. Miguel Andujar is probably their third base prospect closest to the majors, and he looked pretty far from big league ready in his first taste of Double-A this year.

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