NORTH PORT, Fla. — And then there were two.
With DJ LeMahieu needing only two at-bats this spring to get injured again, the competition for Yankees third baseman is realistically down to Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza, barring an outside addition by the time the club opens the regular season March 27.
But with just over three weeks left in camp, Cabrera appears to have the inside lane to getting the majority of reps at third base — even if Aaron Boone would not say on Sunday that it is Cabrera’s job to lose, after LeMahieu acknowledged that a tweaked calf is likely going to cost him time.
“Regardless of anything going on with DJ, I very much envisioned Oswaldo very much in that mix, especially against right-handed pitching,” Boone said before an 11-1 loss to the Braves at CoolToday Park. “We’ll see how it shakes [out]. If that means more playing time for Cabby, I don’t know. How much does Peraza push himself into the mix as a real option, whether it’s on a platoon scenario or what? We’ll just let it play itself out. And again, it’s not just a spring thing. It’s something beyond, too.”
In both Cabrera and Peraza, the Yankees know they have a solid defender at third base.
And the reality is that if the rest of the lineup stays healthy and produces as expected, they should just be able to stick their third baseman in the nine-hole.
The Yankees place a high value on Cabrera’s versatility, which would be limited if they lock him in at third.
On Sunday, he started at shortstop and played there for five innings before moving over to first base for the next two innings; Peraza got the start at third.
But what if Cabrera can deliver more consistent production with more consistent at-bats as the starting third baseman?
“I feel like it’s something I can handle,” Cabrera said. “I think I’m ready for it.”
The key to unlocking that may be proving he can still switch-hit.
At times last year, Cabrera hit left-handed against left-handed pitchers because he felt more comfortable from that side.
His splits overall were stark, as he hit .268 with a .729 OPS against righties and .190 with a .469 OPS against lefties.
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But Cabrera spent the offseason trying to get his rhythm back from the right side — his natural side — fueled by the times last season that he did not come through in a key spot as a right-handed hitter.
Overall last year, Cabrera was batting just .227 with a .606 OPS through his first 67 games.
But he finished much stronger, batting .292 with a .776 OPS over his final 42 games.
Peraza, meanwhile, has hit just .216 with a .612 OPS in 74 major league games across parts of three seasons.
At the very least, LeMahieu’s injury should improve Peraza’s chances of making the roster to start the season, especially because the right-handed hitter is out of minor league options.
“I think Oswald’s still gotta earn that though,” Boone said. “I like how he looks so far. Feel like there’s an energy he’s bringing to the field every day, which is important. Feel like he’s really playing the position well. You’re seeing his defensive ability show. So far he’s put together pretty good at-bats, too. So he could very much play himself into the mix. And yeah, the out-of-options thing, at least it matters in some way.”
