The Star-Ledger reports that Josh Phelps will win a contested roster spot over Andy Phillips.
The Yankees have told at least one other team they intend to keep Josh Phelps as the right-handed half of their first-base platoon. Phelps and Andy Phillips came to camp competing for a roster spot. Both went 0-for-1 yesterday, leaving Phelps with a .444 spring average (eight RBI in 27 at-bats) and Phillips with a .267 mark.
This is an interesting decision. Phelps clearly had a better Spring Training, but the bigger consideration should be roster needs. This is a good move if it means that Doug Mientkiewicz is going to play every day at first base. Phelps then becomes strictly a bench player. He would be a better option since he has more pop in his bat than Phillips, although that is not saying much. Mientkiewicz should be up to being a regular player. His career numbers against lefty pitching are similar to his stats against righty pitching.
This move makes little sense if the team is planning on platooning Phelps with Mientkiewicz. The Yankees have plenty of offense. There is no evidence that Phelps is a better hitter than Mientkiewicz at this point. Doug was signed because the Yankees wanted to put an emphasis on defense at first base. Phelps is abysmal with the glove. He might not be as bad as Jason Giambi, but he is closer to Jason’s horrific fielding than he is to Doug’s terrific glove. The Yankees would be better off sticking Giambi at first, making Hideki Matsui the DH, and playing Melky Cabrera in left field. Melky is a better hitter than Phelps. The team would lose little defensively going from Phelps to Giambi but would gain a lot upgrading from Matsui to Cabrera in left.
Phelps is a decent hitter. That is all. Players like him can be found on the open market. Last season the Yankees brought in Erubiel Durazo, Aaron Guiel, and Carlos Pena to name three. He is a marginal Major Leaguer. He is probably a little bit better than Phillips but is not clearly a better fit for his role. I’ll drop the case for Bernie Williams and say that Kevin Thompson would be a better fit for the roster spot. His offense will at worst be in the neighborhood of what Phelps brings, his speed can be used off the bench as a pinch runner, and he would add more depth and give Joe Torre more flexibility with an aging outfield.
Here’s hoping Andy Phillips finds a new home and sticks somewhere as a Major Leaguer. Given his age and his track record, he probably will never become much of a player, but as long as he is still around the game, there is hope. Everybody associated with the Yankees says that he is genuinely one of the nicest people in baseball. He has had some tough luck over the past year with his wife’s cancer, his mother’s car accident, and now this. Maybe at some point he will catch a break.
