For all of those who remember the constant optimism Brian Cashman spilled over first baseman Greg Bird, the Yankees general manager just waved his magic wand and blew up the first base position with no regard for any life.
In a swift move, Cashman designated Greg Bird for assignment, likely to the pits of infield hell. We may never see the once-promising lefty bat again at the professional level in Pinstripes. You have probably deciphered the sarcasm of the title (a slight on Cashman for always instilling faith in Bird).
Yankees: A little background on Greg Bird
The 27-year-old first baseman debuted in the Bronx in 2015, hitting .261 with 11 homers and 31RBIs over 46 games. His 2016 season was plagued with injuries, as he proceeded to miss the entire campaign. A torn labrum was the culprit. In 2017, he batted a porous .190 over 48 games; however, he did launch three homers in the playoffs, one of which lifted the Yankees over the Cleveland Indians 1-0 in Game 3 of the ALDS.
In 2018, Bird hit .199 with 11 homers and 38 RBIs, losing his starting job to Luke Voit, who was brought over in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. Voit immediately provided more production, as Bird failed to break .200 in four seasons with the Yankees.
Last season, Bird qualified for arbitration — he earned $1.2 million in salary. He left with a left plantar fascia tear on April 16. In 10 games, he hit .171 with one RBI; his opening day homers off Baltimore’s Paul Fry. That was the final bit of optimism Cashman had for his once-promising Bird.
Now, Cashman will rely on Voit, who hit .263 with 21 homers and 62 RBIs over 118 games. We can assume the Yankees will also elevate Mike Ford to the active roster to supplement any injuries or poor play from Voit if the Bombers don’t go out and find a consistent first baseman in free agency.
However, with Cashman diving into the starting pitching market, minimal investment will be allocated towards the first base position, which guarantees Voit a shot at the starting job.