The Yankees seem to be losing everyone this offseason. Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Boone Logan, Phil Hughes, and Joba Chamberlain have all signed with new teams, while Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte have retired. Just for good measure, the Yankees will also lose David Adams, who has agreed to a major league deal with the Cleveland Indians.
Limited by injuries, the 26-year-old got his first taste of Triple-A and, mostly out of necessity, the majors. He had a roller coaster of a season, getting released last offseason only to be re-signed and then called up. He hit .295/.311/.500 with two home runs in his first 11 games, but he only managed a .146/.226/.188 batting line over the rest of the season. He didn't collect his first walk until his 90th plate appearance and 25th game. Adams was sent down, brought up, and then non-tendered last month. It was possible they would re-sign him again, but apparently they were wholly unimpressed by what he offered them in 2013.
Adams spent time at third, first, and second, and though he won't be especially missed, it's questionable as to why they felt they had no room for him in the system. At the very least he would have provided above-average depth at Triple-A, especially when there is no one replacing him. Corban Joseph will need to recover from shoulder surgery, though Jose Pirela could become the starting second baseman at Triple-A. The Yankees just signed Yamaico Navarro and traded for Dean Anna, but they aren't really any better. At the very least, Adams could have been someone who could potentially be used against left-handed pitchers.
The Indians giving him a major league deal is a bit surprising, but they must feel his defense is good enough to take a chance on his bat in a platoon role. It would have been really nice to see him succeed in 2013, but it was clear he was overmatched. Maybe he can etch out a career for himself somewhere else.
