Red Sox vs the AL East: third basemen
By Conor Duffy
Sep 16, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees third baseman Chase Headley (12) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Chase Headley, Yankees
Headley’s career appeared to be spiraling downward before a midseason trade to the Yankees last season. Before the trade, he was slashing a meager .229/.296/.355 just a year after hitting .250/.347/.400, a far cry from 2012’s .286/.376/.498 which netted him a fifth-place finish in MVP voting. However, once he joined the Yankees, he rebounded in a big way as he hit .262/.371/.398, hitting well enough to earn a 4 year/$52M deal to remain in New York. Now 30 years old, Headley will be a candidate to post solid numbers offensively, plus excellent defense at the hot corner, in his first experience in a hitter-friendly stadium. He could be a very good player but there are just too many questions regarding his future performance and too many good third basemen in this division to place him better than fifth.