Don't Be So Quick To Move Jeter To The Outfield

Many people have told me it's time to move Derek Jeter off of short. I somewhat agree with that. He's bad defensively to the point where he hurts the team at times and he's not going to get better any time soon. And with Jeter's contract coming up at the end of 2010, it seems like the perfect time to move him off of shortstop while we still have good memories of his time there. With only Chien-Ming Wang a true groundball pitcher (and he hasn't been that this season...but that's another story), the Yankees can afford to lose a few runs on defense as long as Captain Jetes makes it up with his bat (that also is another story).

 

But some people want him moved off short. And they want him moved off NOW. And where do they want him to go? Leftfield or centerfield, mostly. Though some call for 3rd base (and A-Rod to be moved to short--ha ha) or 2nd base (and Cano to be moved to left--ha ha). But mostly, they want Jeter to move to the outfield. The claim is that he's good on pop ups and fast so he would be good at the outfield.

 

The problem? That's shitty reasoning (under the same reasoning, should we move Mariano Rivera to centerfield since he's good at catching BP flies out there?). The latest example? Daniel Murphy. After another costly error in left last night, some bloggers such as this post on the Mets Report are calling for the "Daniel Murphy Experiment" to end now (Matthew Cerrone over at MetsBlog is a little more lenient but does call for the end to the sloppy play). And if they feel this with Murphy in Flushing, imagine what they'll feel with Jeter in the Bronx. Imagine if he misplays a few fly balls to cost the Yankees games. The man has given so much to the Yankees organization, is it worth throwing him out there to try just because he's good at pop ups and then not worrying about the consequences and embarrassment if he can't field the position well? And who is going to replace Jeter at SS? Ramiro Pena is a nice utility player and has a great glove, but are we ready to have him play everyday? And, although I am usually against defining a players bat by his position, will Jeter's bat be able to justify him being a corner outfielder?

 

The thing is that the Yankees do have a position for Jeter: designated hitter. After this season, Xavier Nady, Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon are all free agents. My wish for Jeter next season is DH for 65% of the time and SS for 35%. This would allow for Jeter to get some time in the field and slowly transition off of SS. It would also allow for guys like Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez to get days off of the field to DH. This transition may have to wait until Jeter's contract is up, but I think it's the only safe way to go. The last thing you want is for Derek Jeter's last days in Pinstripes to be remembered for his bungling play in the outfield.