The Yankees are the Yankees, though, and they should not be shy of capitalizing on their ample financial resources to add a bat to their lineup sooner rather than later, one scout told the New York Daily News.
That scout, who was not named, suggested the Yankees should sign Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder this offseason, make him the designated hitter and stick him in the middle of a Murderers' Row of Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano.
"Man, I'd hate to think how many [home runs] he could hit in this bandbox," the scout told the Daily News' John Harper. "If I'm the Yankees, he's the guy I sign, even with Teixeira here. Put Fielder in this lineup as the DH and they might never lose."
A couple obvious things make this an unlikely move that could hurt the Yankees in the future.
The trouble starts with the timing. The Yankees need players who can help them fend off the Red Sox now, not next season. And for now, Fielder is not available. At the beginning of the season, most assumed he would be, but the Brewers have surprised many by taking first place in the NL Central. It's unlikely they will shop Fielder unless they fall hard before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.
Even if that happens, it's doubtful the Yankees have what the Brewers want if Fielder is available. With Jorge Posada's catching days mostly behind him, Francisco Cervelli a part-timer at best and Russell Martin only signed through the end of 2011, the Yankees can't part with top prospects like Jesus Montero or Gary Sanchez, both catchers. It would take a haul of prospects to coerce the Brewers to give up Fielder now, rather than keep him and get the extra first-round pick that would come if he signed elsewhere as a Type A free agent at the end of the season.
Should the Yankees sit pat and sign Fielder to a long-term contract in the winter, there would be payroll and personnel consequences, too. Derek Jeter is proving that age is still undefeated, and the Yankees don't have an everyday shortstop prospect on the horizon. Years from now, they may want to sign Hanley Ramirez, Starlin Castro or Stephen Drew, to name just a handful, and they'll need money to do it. Having substantial money tied up in two 30-something players with DH-level defensive skills in Alex Rodriguez and Fielder would complicate that effort.
Oh yeah, about the DH. Putting Fielder at DH may make sense now, but the Yankees have a 35-year-old third baseman who probably won't be able to play in the field for another six years. Rodriguez appears to be the Yankees' DH of the future, if there is such a term.
In the short term, Fielder to the Yankees might be a no-brainer. In the long term, it's nothing but trouble for the Bombers.
