Joel Sherman
MLB
The Yankees did nicely in turning a bit that didn’t have a snug spot on their roster, Ben Rortvedt, into one whose skillset suits nicely within the second for an in-the-moment crew.
Jon Berti, even at 34, has retained his velocity and flexibility. He has began video games within the majors at each place besides first, catcher and pitcher. Right now, with DJ LeMahieu on the IL, he can both be the third baseman or be the right-hand portion of a platoon with switch-hitter Oswaldo Cabrera, who’s a lot better from the left facet.
With the Astros beginning southpaw Framber Valdez in Thursday’s opener, it could not be shocking to see Berti beginning at third after he was the Yankees’ portion of a three-team commerce that despatched Rortvedt to the Rays and prospects John Cruz (from the Yankees) and Shane Sasaki (from the Rays) to the Marlins.
A scout who lined the Marlins in spring coaching mentioned of Berti, “He performed nicely for me — the identical all-around, dependable, successful participant. Good. Group-first. He can play all around the infield — he nonetheless has the arm for it.”
The Padres tried exhausting to accumulate Berti on the commerce deadline final season. However the Marlins had not made the playoffs in a 162-game season since successful the 2003 World Sequence. And Berti was central to final yr’s crew getting in as a wild card, beginning 111 video games at 5 positions and hitting a career-best .294 and including 16 steals after main the majors with 41 steals in 2022.
However Miami, with ace Sandy Alcantara out for the season and massive questions on infield protection and general offense, is a robust candidate to regress from 84 wins. And Berti is the type of participant who, within the phrases of one other scout, is healthier “for a very good crew than a foul one.”
He’s a safety blanket for the Yankees. A possible sub when wanted in a wide range of areas. A velocity piece to make use of late in video games — “belief me, he has not misplaced any athleticism,” one other scout mentioned.
Rortvedt didn’t have a job. The Yankees need Jose Trevino’s pitch-whispering protection and the upside of Austin Wells’ lefty bat as their catcher tandem. Rortvedt batted left, however is not any risk as a hitter. He was a adequate catcher although that the Yankees thought they may get one thing for him in a commerce — they usually wanted to deal him as a result of Rortvedt was out of choices and wouldn’t survive waivers in the event that they tried to sneak him by way of to the minors.
Berti, who can’t be a free agent till after the 2025 marketing campaign, appears like a superb alternate for the again of the roster, particularly as a result of in Carlos Narvaez they really feel they’ve the type of defense-first catcher who may very well be promoted if both Trevino or Wells are injured. And since the Yanks had been searching for this type of multi-pronged participant even earlier than accidents to LeMahieu and Oswald Peraza. They made presents to Enrique Hernandez (who went to the Dodgers) and Amed Rosario (Rays).
They didn’t need to spend so much on this — Berti is due $3.625 million in 2024 — as a result of they’re at a luxurious tax place during which they must pay 110 p.c on each greenback added. Thus, Berti, all in, will value them about $7.6 million.
However in contrast to the Marlins, the Yankees are a win-now crew. They’d a particular want for what somebody akin to Berti brings even earlier than accidents thinned the left facet of their infield within the current. So, turning a 3rd catcher with no match for a participant who helps in a wide range of right-now methods is a hit for the Yankees.
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