5. Starlin Castro
Starlin Castro came over to the New York Yankees from the Chicago Cubs in December for swingman Adam Warren and infielder Brendan Ryan. Castro seemed to be the Cubs shortstop for years to come, earning three All-Star nods and signing a contract securing his services through 2019. Castro was blocking uber-prospect, 2012 first rounder Addison Reed, who took over Castro’s shortstop spot in August for nearly the entire remainder of last season. The statistical dip for Castro was not encouraging, as he posted just a .671 OPS last season. But he did hit .353 after the move to second so it seemed possible they could both continue with Chicago. When the Cubs signed Ben Zobrist to play second base, Castro became expendable.
This is a former All-Star returning to his favored shortstop position coming off a strong end to the season. He will be just 26 years old to start the season in a new environment without a super-prospect breathing down his proverbial neck trying to take his job. His contract will be small by his new teammates’ standards so the pressure will be off him in that respect so he should flourish in New York.
Next: Red Sox sign David Murphy to minor league deal
It was a close call over Elvis Andrus of the Texas Rangers, but Castro’s on-base ability and power (double digit homers the last five seasons) give him the edge. The Yankees kick off the season series with Boston at Fenway from April 29 to May 1. The Red Sox travel to the Bronx to take on the Yankees for the first time in 2016 from May 6-8.
Stay tuned to BoSoxInjection.com every Tuesday from now through the season for a new Rankings article. Let the debate begin!!