Who's on First?

One position the Yankees do not have settled for 2008 is first base. Right now there are four main candidates for the position, Shelley Duncan, Jason Giambi, Wilson Betemit, and Juan Miranda, none of which are too impressive.

Shelley Duncan is a career minor leaguer who had a decent first three months in the big leagues. In only 74 at bats he hit .257, with 7 HR, and 17 RBI. The two major question marks regarding Duncan are can he hit major league pitching after they learn his weaknesses, and will his defense become a liability. In the Minors he was known as a player who could hit, but really didn’t have a position. To me he’s a better fit as a part-time outfielder, part-time DH, and part-time first baseman.

Jason Giambi is another name that has been thrown around as a potential candidate for first. Realistically I don’t think anyone within the Yankee organization actually believes that his body would hold up over a full season. Over the past few years every time he plays more than three days a week he injures himself in someway. He also has less range than my 90 year old grandma Ida, and can't throw the ball with any accuracy. Another strike against Giambi is that he has turned into a shell of his former self offensively. He would be best suited as the most expensive pinch-hitter in Major League history.

For a couple years I’ve been hearing about Wilson Betemit, how he could be a very good everyday player in the Majors, and rom what I’ve seen, I don’t agree. His stats aren't that impressive either; lifetime .260 hitter. He has a good glove and a OK bat. He's a switch-hitter, with a little power from the left-hand side, and is invisible from the right-hand side. The way to make the most of his talents is as a utility guy who would occasionally get a start to give players like A-Rod, Cano, and Jeter a day off.

This leads me to the most intriguing candidate of the group, Juan Miranda, a 24 year old left-handed Cuban defector. People who watched him in Cuba say he could eventually become a .280, 20+ HR type of hitter. In his first season in the Minors he hit .265, with 16 HR, and 96 RBI, in 446 at bat with Tampa (A+), and Trenton (AA). He also has the ability to draw a walk; his OBP was .350, almost 100 points higher than his batting average. In 22 games in the Arizona Fall League he hit .295, with 5 HR, and 17 RBI. He also racked up a gaudy .423 OBP and .974 OPS. He does have several weaknesses, he doesn't hit left handed pitching too well, and he's a below average fielder.

Unless the Yankees can trade for an established MLB first baseman, this is a problem that will not sort itself out until sometime in mid March, and most likely, even later. All these players could end up splitting time for the entire season. I really would like to see what Juan Miranda can do though; to me, out of this group, he may have the most potential.