It appears that the New York Yankees are sending backup catcher Francisco Cervelli to the minor leagues, after their trade for another perennial second-string catcher in Chris Stewart. New York Yankee fans like me have grown used to Cervelli's hustle and positive attitude, and he has improved at the plate each year.
It was difficult for me to believe the news when I heard it, especially after Cervelli clobbered a home run in the Yankees' final spring training game—against the Mets no less.
I am fully aware that Francisco ran into some serious health problems involving concussions last year, but nothing against Stewart, I hope Cervelli is back with the big club soon. I love the enthusiasm and edge Cervelli brings to the team, and I root as hard for him as any Yankee in recent memory.
The Yankees are familiar with the 30-year-old Stewart, since he did play one game for the team in 2008. Stewart has not had any extensive major league experience, with the most games he has managed to get into during his career being the 67 tilts he appeared in for the Giants last season. In those contests, Stewart hit just .204, with three home runs and 10 runs batted in. But with the more heralded Kevin Romine having trouble with his back, an issue that the Yanks expect will sideline the catching prospect for a couple of months, New York acquired Stewart and optioned Cervelli to the minors. I realize that the Yankees had options on Cervelli, making such a move possible without harsh consequences, but I do not agree with it at all.
I think that Stewart has bounced from organization to organization over the course of his time in baseball for a reason. He was a 12th-round draft pick of the Chicago White Sox back in 2001. Stewart went hitless in eight official at-bats for the Sox in 2006; the White Sox dealt Chris to the Rangers later that year. He failed to impress Texas, hitting .243 in 17 games. The Yanks signed him as a free agent in 2008 and then allowed him to become a free agent once more later that year. He wound up back in Chicago, which ironically sent him back to New York as part of a previous deal. Stewart made stops in San Diego and then San Francisco before coming back to the Bronx for a third time. When I look at a track record such as this, I feel it is very unlikely he will produce much when called upon.
In the minor leagues, Stewart has never hit for average or for power. His best batting average over a season in the lower levels lately is the .280 standard he posted for Scranton-Wilkes Barre in 2009. He did bat .286 for Double A Birmingham while part of the White Sox organization in 2005. That campaign was also his best in terms of homers and runs batted in, as he had 11 and 51, respectively.
Stewart is 30 years old and needs to take full advantage of this opportunity to continue his major league dreams. If this is not the case, the sooner the Yankees get Cervelli back to the big leagues, the better as far as I am concerned.
I have been a New York Yankees fan since the middle of the 1960s.
Sources:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stewach01.shtml
http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=stewar002chr
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