Yankees Demote Melky | Release Sexson

Source: Hot Stove New York.

From being protected from a blockbuster trade to being demoted in the middle of August Melky Cabrera has taken quite a step back this season.

The Yankees demoted the struggling 24-year-old center fielder today and in his place called up Brett Gardner who will likely take his place as a starter.

Cabrera made Yankee general manager Brian Cashman look smart early this season when he hit .299 and a .864 OPS this April. It’s all been down hill since then for the Melk-man. In May Melky hit .234, in June he hit .206. Since the all-star break things haven’t gotten better either. He’s been batting .244 with a .566 OPS.

His power numbers have disappeared since an April surge. In April he hit five homers and since has only three. He has also only picked up one triple this season after picking up 10 over the past two years.

This move is a long time in coming really. Gardner didn’t exactly light up the Bronx when he was here, hitting only .153 with a .397 OPS. However it was just his first cup of coffee at the big league level and deserves a better shot to prove he can stay.

Meanwhile Melky showed no signs of improvement. During the month of July when Gardner was in the bigs Cabrera hit .272, but had mostly singles and only a pair of walks which translates into a measly .653 OPS.

Melky was surprised by the demotion saying, “I never thought this was going to happen. That’s the manager’s decision.”

Really? What did he expect to happen to a center fielder hitting .115 this month when his team in desperately trying to make the playoffs.

On the other hand Gardner has been playing his best baseball of the year since his demotion from the Bronx. He finished July with a decent .714 OPS before putting up strong numbers in August. This month he has been hitting .366 with a .864 OPS.

Also getting the axe on the Yankees was Richie Sexson. Sexson was brought in to provide some right handed pop off the bench for the Yankees. It’s a limited role that he is unaccustomed to and he hit .250 with one homer in 28 at bats.

“We really appreciate (him),” said Cashman. “The guy came and accepted the opportunity to do something that’s foreign to him, and that’s a part-time role. He was working on his swing, and at the same time, sporadic play - I don’t think - is conducive to him at his stage of his career.”

Releasing Sexson doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but they did pick him up before trading for Xavier Nady and Pudge Rodriguez who are both right handed hitters. So in a sense Sexson became a further spare part.

Replacing Sexson is 32-year-old utility-man Cody Ransom. He has played at the major league level a few times between 2001 and 2007. During that time he has gotten 140 at bats with a .696 overall OPS. This season he has been one of the leading offensive players on the light hitting Scranton Yankees. In 116 games he was hitting .255 with 22 homers, 71 RBI’s and a .820 OPS.