The New York Yankees officially just got an upgrade at second baseman as they acquired Starlin Castro from the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night. Minutes before the deal was announced the Cubs had signed utility infielder Ben Zobrist so a trade wasn’t a complete surprise.
The 25-year-old is a three-time National League All-Star and former shortstop who is now an everyday second baseman; the Yankees will take the remainder of Castro’s $38 million contract as part of the deal. The addition of Castro is an upgrade defensively after a struggling 2015 season which saw several different options at second base for the Yankees including veteran Stephen Drew, recent acquisition Dustin Ackley and rookie Rob Refsnyder. He will also add depth as a right-handed bat to the lineup, most likely in the seventh or eighth spot. Last season Castro hit .265 with eleven homers and 69 RBIs.
In exchange for Castro, the Yankees sent utility player Brendan Ryan and RHP Adam Warren to the Cubs. The 28-year-old is a solid option in the starting rotation for the Cubs and if he doesn’t make it as a starter he could always be a solid option out of the bullpen as he did with the Yankees. In seventeen starts; forty-three games in all, in 2015 he was 7-7 with a 3.29 ERA with a great pitch in his slider.
The 33-year-old Ryan is a veteran infielder, spending most of his time at second, third and shortstop. He played in 47 games with the Yankees in 2015 with a .229 batting average in 96 at-bats. His defensive skills are some of the best in the league so along with the acquisition of Zobrist, the Cubs have gained two veteran utility players who will add a great deal of baseball IQ to that young roster.
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