Manager Joe Girardi says Eduardo Nunez’s strongest value to the Yankees is as a shortstop.
Yet, when the Yankees sent Nunez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre yesterday, it looked and sounded like Nunez is headed for trade bait.
“Our thought is that he will be an everyday shortstop at some point,’’ Girardi said of Nunez, who will be 25 next month and will have one more minor league option after this season. “That’s what we want him to concentrate on. That’s where his true value is.’’
With Derek Jeter signed for this year and next and Jeter holding a player option for 2014, it’s hard to see Jeter playing another position.
Bill Kostroun
A SHORT STAY? After struggling in the field this season, Eduardo Nunez is headed to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and could be on the trading block.
So, Nunez’s biggest value might be on the trade market. Teams have long coveted Nunez’s bat but have been wary of his defense. He made six errors at third and 14 at short last year.
He made two very costly errors Thursday night at third base and Girardi used Jayson Nix as a defensive replacement in the sixth inning.
“Right now it was the right thing to do,’’ general manager Brian Cashman said of Nunez, who hit .294 (15-for-51) with five RBIs in 20 games. “The bottom line is that it’s hard to find players with the ability and tools he has. Moving all over the field was not helpful.’’
YANKEES BOX SCORE
Nunez, a natural shortstop, started one game at second, five at third, five at short and one in left field and his glove looked rigid in all places.
“We feel it’s important for him to play every day at short again,’’ Girardi said. “I am not saying if the kid gets recalled I won’t play him in left in a pinch. We talked about maybe we asked the kid to do too much and let’s get him back [to short].’’
Nunez wouldn’t be the first shortstop to go someplace else or switch positions because of Jeter’s death grip on the position since 1996.
Cristian Guzman, Erick Almonte, D’Angelo Jimenez and Alfonso Soriano were either dealt or moved to another position because of Jeter.
With Nunez gone, Nix will serve as the backup shortstop and second baseman. Chavez will back up at first and third.
Jeter appreciates the difficulty Nunez faced trying to play everywhere.
“I never had to do it but it’s hard enough to play one [position]. You don’t see too many young guys [do it]. When you are younger, you are used to playing every day, it’s hard enough not to play every day. But then to play sparingly at one, two, three, four five different positions, that’s tough to do,’’ Jeter said.
Jeter believes getting comfortable at multiple positions would be tough and that Nunez was stunned to be demoted.
“It’s probably just not being comfortable. I don’t want to speak on his behalf, but I would assume just not playing every day is tough to do,’’ Jeter said. “It’s always a shock. Me and Mo got sent down on the same day. It was a shock. It was tough to deal with. It’s nothing that’s easy to do. He needs to play. That’s the bottom line.’’
george.king@nypost.com
Eduardo Nunez, Nunez, Joe Girardi, Derek Jeter, shortstop, shortstop, Girardi, Jayson Nix
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