The New York Yankees could face problems down the line at third base. Meanwhile, one of their former infield prospects is set to debut with his new team.
Caleb Durbin was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster last November to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. However, he was soon traded to the Milwaukee Brewers, along with Nestor Cortes, to land Devin Williams. While Williams has been inconsistent so far, Durbin has been showing out for the Brewers in Triple-A.
Durbin was slashing .278/.316/.482 in Triple-A Nashville this season and had two home runs. Today, the Brewers optioned Oliver Dunn to Triple-A to make room for Durbin, according to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy.
“The Brewers are above .500 at 10-9 despite getting little from third basemen Dunn and Vinny Capra, who have combined to rank 29th of 30 MLB teams with a .429 OPS at that position, and last with a .188 on-base percentage,” wrote McCalvy. “Most of those plate appearances belonged to Dunn, who was slashing .167/.205/.222, though he did help spark Wednesday’s win over the Tigers with a successful squeeze bunt that opened the scoring in a 5-1 Brewers victory. In swapping Dunn for Durbin, the Brewers are trading defense for what they hope is a boost in run-production.”
Durbin brings speed on the bases, which is exactly what the Brewers look for in their offense. Third base for the Brewers has been a problem this year, so there is not a high bar to clear for Durbin.
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While Durbin was not a top 30 prospect for the Yankees, he was the Brewers’ No.21 prospect. If he ends up becoming a starter for the rest of the year and produces at a decent clip, the Yankees could regret the decision to include him in a trade for Williams. Especially if Williams leaves after the season, and Durbin becomes a long-term option for the Brewers in the hot corner.
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