Why The Yankees need Jorge ‘El Chato’ Vasquez now…
Jorge 'El Chato' Vasquez, the veteran Yankee minor leaguer needs to be called up to the Yanks now! Photo: yankeesdaily.com
Jorge Vasquez is probably the Yankees best kept secret; at least to the majority of fans that don’t follow what’s going on in the minor leagues. He’s a veteran that’s been playing a total of 12 years in the minors; 8 with Triple-A Mexico and 2 apiece with Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He can play both corner infield positions and oh, by the way, he can hit the cover off of baseballs! Last year at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Vasquez belted 32 homers and knocked in 93 RBI’s in just 455 at bats!
So why do the Yankees need to call the slugger up now? Several reasons. Having given up their DH slot for the upcoming season, Jesus Montero, in the trade for Michael Pineda, a void has been left. The other Jorge (Posada) will be announcing his retirement in the next week or two. The Yanks just signed Dodger pitcher Hiroki Kuroda to a one year $10 million contract so they will not be looking to increase their already exorbitant payroll for a replacement at DH. They have been speaking with Carlos Pena and Johnny Damon, both aging vets with no real home this season. Pena is coming off of a one year deal with the Cubs where he batted just .225 and the Tampa Bay Rays have already told Damon that they don’t want him back. So rather than go after an ineffective 33 year old Pena or an aging 38 year old Damon, why not just pluck 29 year old Jorge Vasquez out of your Triple-A affiliate?
Coming off his best season in the minors, the Yankees do not need to look very far for a DH slugger. Photo: nypost.com
In the last four seasons ‘El Chato’ which is an affectionate term to one who has a small or snub nose, (which he does), averaged a home run every 16 at bats. He’s hit 50 homers in his last two seasons and drove in 155 runs while batting around .267. He’s been in the minors for over a decade, he’s hungry, and sure to be a crowd favorite. (Think Hideki Matsui and all the attention he grabbed when he first came to the Yankees). If Brian Cashman is looking to keep the payroll down, then he need not look any further than his own farm system. What does he and the Yankees have to lose?
FANTASY FURNACE 
So you don’t think they will try to sign a free agent?
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They probably will…yankee favorites like Hideki Matsui or Johnny Damon. We just think they should finally bring up Vasquez. He’ll be cheaper, he’s younger, and more hungry They still have Andruw Jones who has some pop left, but he’s had a problem hitting righties so he’ll be more of a part time DH like he was last year…
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How old is he if he’s played in the minors for 12 years?
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Sorry, it said in the post. My bad.
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No problem. Actually Vasquez has been peaking over the past couple of seasons. He has more pop than Damon, and you want a DH with power. Matsui is eight years older than Vasquez and has a history of knee and other injuries. To us, Jorge Vasquez should be brought up. We’ll see.
Thanks for commenting!
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