Why The Yankees Need To Get Yangervis Solarte

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     Yangervis Solarte was a New York Yankee once upon a time. However, the Yankees needed a third baseman because you know, A-Rod couldn’t play the position anymore (I’ll leave it at that). They decided to trade for Chase Headley from the Padres. In this trade, one of the players they gave up as you may have guessed, was Yangervis Solarte. 

     Now, it is no secret that Chase Headley hasn’t totally panned out for the team after the trade (mostly after the extension). In fact, some Yankee fans can argue that the team should try and trade him. However, the question would then be who would get to play Third.

Rob Refsnyder is pretty good, but he only played 37 games at Third throughout the minors, and profiles as a backup Second Baseman with positional flexibility. The team doesn't seem to be flowing with suitable options after Refsnyder. There's one player the team can pursue though that can fill the Third Base hole. Instead of Enter Sandman, I’d say Re-enter Solarte.

     First things first, allow me to mention how Solarte would be around for a while. In fact, Solarte just entered arbitration for the first time this offseason, and won’t be a free agent until 2020. Also, it is apparent that the Padres are making a huge effort to move him. 

     Now that is out of the way, let me also mention the type of value Solarte brings to the table. Fangraphs recently stated that one WAR would equate to around 5 to 7 million dollars on the open market. Fangraphs valued Solarte at 2.8 WAR, while Baseball Reference valued him at 2.2. 

Solarte is under team control until 2020.
Image Courtesy of MLB.com

     Either way, Solarte would have produced between 15.4 and 19.6 million dollars in 2016. However, what is really the kicker here is that Solarte is projected to earn only $2.7 million dollars in arbitration. Due to the fact that he won’t suddenly be posting flashy statlines, Solarte will likely be overlooked by arbitrators. Because of that, he will continue to be a cheap asset until he hits free agency. Considering how the 2018 free agent class will be loaded, it would be wise for the Yanks to improve the team while being cost-conscious.

     I have gone on and on about Solarte’s value, but haven’t even explained what he can do for the Yankees. It’s time to change that. Solarte had been a steady hitter going into 2016, but he stepped up, and turned in a nice hitting performance. This was due to an increase in power with an increase in ISO from .158 in 2015, to .180 this past season. It also certainly helps that with Solarte being a switch hitter, he can give manager Joe Girardi more lineup flexibility. 

     Considering how he hit for some power in PETCO, one can imagine that he will post better power numbers if he calls Yankee stadium home. Combine that with one of the lower strikeout rates in the majors, and I believe Solarte can be a sneaky threat in the Yankees lineup. 

     There is one problem when it comes to acquiring Solarte, and that is what to do with Chase Headley. Well, that is something I plan on addressing in a future article. I also plan on writing a future article on potential trade ideas to acquire Solarte.