I got the inside scoop from agent Paul Kinzer
The Yankees currently have two giant holes in the infield and no trustworthy options to speak of. Brian Roberts is currently penciled in at second base, but he's unlikely to make it very far into the season before he hits the disabled list. The team has brought in a plethora of options at third base to make up for the loss of Alex Rodriguez, but other than Scott Sizemore, none of them have much experience in the majors.
One player I previously discussed, who could be an option, is Emilio Bonifacio:
The super utilityman switch-hitter wouldn't exactly be a great addition to the team, but he would be a useful one. Bonifacio can play all three outfield positions, which is nice, but he can also play third base, second base, and shortstop. He's not a very good fielder overall, though he rated positively in right field (4 DRS), third base (1 DRS), and put up a 10 DRS at second base in 2013.
What Bonifacio actually does well is very little. In 2011, he stole 40 bases in what was the best season of his career. Since then he's been a below-average bat and his stolen base totals have fallen since then. Still, as a part-time player as he surely will be next year, Bonifacio stole a total of 30 bases in only 274 plate appearances and 64 games. That would have led the Yankees in 2013, and if he's given a decent amount of playing time as a backup to Roberts, and really everyone, he could end up doing it again in 2014, depending on how well Jacoby Ellsbury does.
The 28-year-old was designated for assignment at the beginning of the month and won't be declared a free agent until 2 pm tomorrow, but I spoke with Bonifacio's agent, Paul Kinzer, who said that he has not heard from the Yankees at this point. Once he makes it through waivers, the Royals will pay him the league minimum, while his new team will be on the hook for the rest of his $3.5 million 2014 salary. It could be a different story when he finally hits the open market, but as of right now, it doesn't look like he'll be playing in the Bronx.
It's not necessarily a huge loss, especially at that price, but the Yankees don't really have a better option. At least we know Bonifacio can could be useful on the base paths and off the bench, so it would have been nice to see them turn over every stone.
