Even though he swore throughout the offseason that he would play third base most every day, the New York Yankees' Alex Rodriguez looks more and more like he will become the full-time designated hitter in 2015. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch reported Wednesday afternoon that Yankees general manager Brian Cashman indicated that Rodriguez can and likely will handle the role -- at least when the regular season begins.
Rodriguez has had a very nice Spring Training to date. As of the end of play on March 25, Rodriguez is hitting .290 with 2 HR and 3 RBI in 31 at bats. While that is a small sample size against some Major League and some Minor League pitching, it does show Cashman that Rodriguez is ready to play nearly every day.
Cashman made it well-known earlier that Rodriguez would most likely not play third base every day when he signed third baseman Chase Headley to a four-year contract during the offseason. In addition, although A-Rod has practiced a little bit at first base (and could see a little game action there), the Yankees already have Mark Teixeira, and they brought in Garrett Jones as a back-up.
Typically of late, the Yankees have rotated players through the DH role. However, Cashman has indicated that he prefers more of a regular presence in the position. Cashman also likes what he has seen of Rodriguez in Spring Training. Hoch quoted the general manger discussing just that. Said Cashman,
"He's done well. I'm not looking at performance and statistics as much as just how he's been swinging the bat. He's got a lot of life in his body. If he continues to show athleticism, that means he's going to impact the baseball. That will be good for us.... I had no idea what we were going to get. You prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Hopefully, he can stay healthy and be really productive for us in that lineup."
Rodriguez got similar raves from one of baseball's most revered and respected analysts. During the Wednesday afternoon Yankees/New York Mets broadcast on YES Network, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal said that although we should not expect the A-Rod of years past (most notably 2004 and 2009), Rodriguez could provide some of the offense the Yankees lacked in their injury-plagued 2013 and 2014 seasons. Announcers Michael Kay and Ken Singleton agreed and also said the 40-year-old Rodriguez looks very solid and comfortable in his return from 2013 hip surgery and his 2014 season-long suspension.
Hoch noted that Cashman and manager Joe Girardi considered a DH platoon of Jones (a left-handed hitter) and Rodriguez. Hoch, however, writes, "Cashman said Wednesday that Rodriguez has shown enough to convince the Yankees he can DH on an everyday basis."
Hoch then added this statement from Cashman:
"So far, I think he's certainly taken a run at the full-time DH situation for me. We'll talk about all these things, but the way he's looked so far down here, I would say he's definitely pushing himself in the mix for full-time DH consideration."
While earning $22 million this season, Rodriguez will need a regular position. As of now, it appears that position is the designated hitter.