The Yankees’ love affair for 27 year-old infielder Wilson Betemit continues. They keep trying to swap Scott Proctor for him, this time with the Dodgers instead of the Braves.
The Dodgers are definitely searching for late-inning relief help, but Joel Sherman and Mike Puma of the New York Post say Proctor doesn’t do it for them.
Betemit began the year as the Dodgers’ regular third baseman, but hit his way out of the job after about a month. I’ll be the first to admit I thought he’d keep the job and OPS at least .800. But to be fair, Betemit’s OPS is over .800 – a career best .844 in fact. He’s got 28 home runs over his last 515 ABs, and he’s drawn enough walks this year to keep his OBP strong.
The switch-hitting Betemit has never hit southpaws much, but he’s going to need full exposure to them if he’s ever going to learn. It’s kind of a catch-22. I still think he can carve out a career as a regular, maybe as an offensive-minded second baseman.
Proctor for Betemit would be a fine move for the Yankees. He wouldn’t have a regular job but could spend some time at first this year and offer an insurance policy for Alex Rodriguez next year. If A-Rod is to depart, the Yankees could spend the extra cash to improve at a position other than third.
