Is Juan Miranda Doomed to be Traded?

When the Yankees signed Mark Teixeira, it meant the end of first base for Nick Swisher, but it also cast a huge shadow of doubt that minor league prospect Juan Miranda would ever play in the Bronx.

Miranda, a first baseman and outfielder, came to the Yankees via Cuba where he played on the Cuban National team in 2001 and took part in the Cuban National Series from 2002 to 2004.

Shortly after that, he defected to America where he signed a four-year-deal worth $4 million after the 2006 season.

In the Yankees system, he took to only playing first base while moving from single-A Tampa in 2007 to triple-A Scranton in 2008 before making a brief stop in the Bronx last season.

During that span he played decent defense, but his bat was his major weapon. He walked at a modest clip with a combined .365 OBP, but his strongest skill was his power. His .461 SLG percentage gave him a decent .826 OPS overall.

His 2008 campaign was a strong one and it looked like he was poised to make an impact in the Bronx as soon as this season. That was until the Yankees signed Teixeira. Now there is no room for Miranda at first base.

Is there still a way he can fit into the Yankees roster?

Well, that depends. If the Yankees like him more as a trade chip, which they most likely do, then he is better off getting at-bats in the minors than riding the bench in the Bronx. Otherwise, they might carry him as a bat off the bench, as he is especially strong against right handed pitchers.

The only other way Miranda could fit into the Yankees plans would be to move him back to the outfield where he spent some time in Cuba. As an outfielder he would be in a good position to take over when the Yankees lose Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui, and Xavier Nady to free agency.

This scenario is unlikely because if he were a strong outfielder, he would never have moved to first base full-time. There isn’t much to lose though by giving it a shot. If he did take to the outfield even a little bit, that would also make him more attractive to perspective traders.

Essentially, Miranda could still technically fit into the Yankees plans if he could move back into the outfield or strictly as a bench player. Unfortunately, it seems the Yankees have no plans on moving him to the outfield, and he is probably more valuable to them as part of a trade than a simple bat off the bench.

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