Add Scott Sizemore to the list of names vying for time at second and third base for the Yankees this spring.
With Alex Rodriguez now suspended for the entire 2014 season, the Yankees are going to have to look for players who can fill in at third base. Unfortunately, the free agent market is pretty barren, so they'll have to resort to bottom of the barrel-type signings. According to Ken Davidoff of the New York Post, the Yankees are close to a minor league deal with former Athletics and Tigers infielder Scott Sizemore.
The 29-year-old has appeared in just two big league games since 2011 after tearing and re-tearing his ACL, but he appears to be healthy now and ready to play this spring. Before getting hurt, Sizemore was a pretty decent player. He achieved a career-high in plate appearances in 2011 with 429, batting .245/.342/.399 with a 109 wRC+ in a season split between Detroit and Oakland. He has experience playing both second and third, the two main positions of need in the Yankee infield, though UZR rates him as slightly below average at both.
At worst, the right-handed hitter presents a viable platoon option thanks to a .272/.357/.422 slash line against left-handed pitchers. He'll join a Yankee second and third base mix that already includes Kelly Johnson, Brian Roberts, Eduardo Nunez and Dean Anna. He could start the season in the minors, playing both positions, since the Yankees don't have any important prospects playing there in Triple-A. Still, an impressive spring could land him a job with the team if he proves that his knee is healthy and the ACL tearing was just a fluke that happened twice.
