Numbers Game for Yankees “Toe”

 

By Rich Mancuso/ Sports Editor

It was inevitable that a Yankees roster move had to be made when first baseman Greg Bird was reinstated from the disabled list Saturday. And with that of course the roster move had to be made prior to the Yankees-Angels second game of three in the Bronc Saturday evening.

The loser in all of this, if it had to be stated that way, came down to Ronald Torreyes sent down to Triple-A Scranton. Staying put is infielder Tyler Austin who also has become a valuable tool at first as Bird recovered from surgery to a broken left ankle,

And a numbers game it was for the Yankees. Torreyes, Known as “Toe” always came up big as the role player and manager Aaron Boone will be the first to state that this was a numbers game.  The Yankees, also in a stretch of 14 games in the next 13 days also needed to utilize that extra pitcher out of the pen with the schedule.

So in baseball standards, and with the way this Yankees team is constructed with depth at every position, this was a numbers game and had nothing to do with choosing A over B. The overall sentiment among Yankees players, the manager and GM Brian Cashman was unanimous.

Ronald Torreyes at some point this season will return to Yankee Stadium. The 22 games played, 62 at bats and 21 hits, that’s enough to constitute how valuable “Toe” has become off the bench or with limited starts in the lineup.

“We got a good problem now got a lot of quality players,” said Cashman who said this was a tough call and the main reason was those 14 games and the need possibly for that extra pitcher.

And in all respects, Torreyes could start for another team in need of that versatile and valuable infielder, a role player that Ronald Torreyes has become in his two seasons with the Yankees. Cashman is aware of that, the manager, and the players who go to war with the player they call “Toe.”

Said Boone: “ Obviously a very difficult decision for us. Thinking was and hopefully something  is temporarily to what Toe means to our team, our clubhouse. Certainly not deserved.” And Boone reiterated what Cashman said, about 14 games over 13 days  and a need possibly for that extra pitcher.

Take it on a positive note for the Yankees and their fans. This is an organization with deep depth and all if not most teams wish they were in a similar situation. So prior to that first pitch Saturday night, and with Greg Bird back in the lineup at first base, there was no reason to say this was a foul and bad roster move.

It is strictly a numbers game with knowledge that Ronald Torreyes will return at some point to the Yankees roster and that’s a good thing.

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