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The New York Yankees have gotten some ridiculous production out of first baseman Ben Rice this season, a very promising sign for a guy that all Yankees fans know can be one of the better young players in baseball.
It's unfortunate that Rice hasn't been given all the opportunities that he needs on both sides of the ball to really maximize his potential, but there's been a lot to like offensively out of the young man this year, and if things continue, the Yankees have to feel like they found another star.
The one interesting part about Rice is not only him swinging the bat at a ridiculous level, but he might also be able to play a position that the Yankees now so desperately need.
With how poorly Austin Wells has been offensively, the Yankees probably need to find a catcher at the trade deadline. In the event that they go out and land a catcher, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but they might also look at somebody like Rice and say, why not give him a chance?
There are some problems with that, and according to NJ.com, while the Yankees have thought about doing so, it isn't in their immediate plans, and the reason for it makes a lot of sense.
“Absolutely,” Boone said Sunday before an 8-3 Yankees win over the Blue Jays.
“We talk about it,” Boone said. “We’ve got a long way to go in this season, but it’s not in the immediate plans.”
“One reason the Yankees have resisted is that they fear a move to catcher would wear down Rice and affect his hitting, which has been among the best in the majors in his second full season as a big leaguer. Also, his receiving isn’t on par with the Yankees’ other catchers, especially the blocking and framing,” Randy Miller of NJ.com wrote.
In the sense of Rice not being the same caliber of hitter that he currently is if he were to catch, I don't think it's crazy to say that the Yankees would be making the right decision by not doing this.
However, I would be willing to give it a chance. That's how bad Wells has been, though I know it's important to look at the big picture here and understand why the Yankees might not go in that direction, given Aaron Judge's injury and other factors affecting this lineup, which hasn't always been great.
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It's unfortunate that Rice hasn't been given all the opportunities that he needs on both sides of the ball to really maximize his potential, but there's been a lot to like offensively out of the young man this year, and if things continue, the Yankees have to feel like they found another star.
The one interesting part about Rice is not only him swinging the bat at a ridiculous level, but he might also be able to play a position that the Yankees now so desperately need.
With how poorly Austin Wells has been offensively, the Yankees probably need to find a catcher at the trade deadline. In the event that they go out and land a catcher, I wouldn't have a problem with it, but they might also look at somebody like Rice and say, why not give him a chance?
There are some problems with that, and according to NJ.com, while the Yankees have thought about doing so, it isn't in their immediate plans, and the reason for it makes a lot of sense.
“Absolutely,” Boone said Sunday before an 8-3 Yankees win over the Blue Jays.
“We talk about it,” Boone said. “We’ve got a long way to go in this season, but it’s not in the immediate plans.”
“One reason the Yankees have resisted is that they fear a move to catcher would wear down Rice and affect his hitting, which has been among the best in the majors in his second full season as a big leaguer. Also, his receiving isn’t on par with the Yankees’ other catchers, especially the blocking and framing,” Randy Miller of NJ.com wrote.
In the sense of Rice not being the same caliber of hitter that he currently is if he were to catch, I don't think it's crazy to say that the Yankees would be making the right decision by not doing this.
However, I would be willing to give it a chance. That's how bad Wells has been, though I know it's important to look at the big picture here and understand why the Yankees might not go in that direction, given Aaron Judge's injury and other factors affecting this lineup, which hasn't always been great.
Continue reading...
