The New York Yankees have proven that they have a weakness and could trade for a guy like Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Oakland Athletics swept the Yanks in a four-game series over the weekend, exposing holes in their lineup.
It is poetic justice that a team like the A's can defeat a powerhouse like the Yankees, but enough talk about the weekend.
Victorino would bring excitement and athleticism to the Yankees, which are aspects of the game New York lacks, says Sean Hartnett of CBS Sports.
By excitement it does not mean the Yankees should get Victorino to load up the stadium, the team can do that on its own, but what the Yanks lack movement on the base pads. This in turn has not allowed the team to manufacture runs.
Now that Brett Gardner is out of the lineup, possibly for the whole year, the Yankees are in desperate need of a base stealer or at least speed on base, which Victorino can provide.
They do not call him the "Flyin' Hawaiian" for no reason. He has stolen 21 bases in 95 games with the Phillies. He also has some pop. Victorino has blasted eight home runs in the season.
Though his .253 batting average and .317 on-base percentage do not build a great case for acquiring Victorino, the numbers do not adequately describe the outfielder's hard-nose style of baseball.
He has playoff experience and owns a ring. So he knows how to play like a champion. Victorino plays in the National League East, so he understands rivalry.
The Yankees need depth in the outfield since Gradner and now Nick Swisher are out (Swish is expected to return on Friday). Andrew Jones and Raul Ibanez are great backups, but they cannot play every day.
Adding Victorino would provide the Yankees, not with youth, but with the fire they need to create havoc on the base pads. Acquiring the 31-year-old outfielder will make the Yankees a two-dimensional team as they will not solely rely on the long ball to get them runs.
Victorino is a free agent after the 2012 season. He is owed $9.5 million in 2012.
