Yankees should look for new catcher, outfield options

It’s no secret the Yankees are a shell of the club they were even a few years ago.

The Bombers are older, slower and currently banged up.

Now, one of the team’s brightest spots, Curtis Granderson in left field, is out until May with a broken arm.

It’s early in spring training, so it’s too early to say the Yankees need to make a move. The San Francisco Giants have proven that with the right players getting hot at the right time, it doesn’t take a team of superstars to win a World Series.

But the Yankees could use another bat. And the biggest needs are at catcher and in the outfield.

Francisco Cervelli, a backup at best, is the projected starting catcher, followed by Chris Stewart — who will undoubtedly catch C.C. Sabathia again this season — and Austin Romine.

Though that lineup seems weak, fans shouldn’t forget the sub-par performance Russell Martin showed last season (he hit .211 and drove in less than 55 runs for a second straight season).

Still an upgrade is needed to makeup for the lack of RBIs elsewhere in the lineup (I’m looking at you Alex Rodriguez. Even off the DL, you are far from your prime).

In the outfield, Granderson should have led the way. But with him out until May, Brett Gardner and Ichiro Suzuki are the only clear-cut starters. In left field, it’s a platoon job for now. Even Eduardo Nunez’s name has been discussed.

If the Yankees add an outfielder who is better than a platoon guy, that should hold them over until Granderson returns. Even then, a solid bat could still be used to give Gardner, Suzuki and Granderson a day off while filling in at DH the other days.

Here’s a look at players the Yankees should put on their radar now to add by the end of spring.

1) Carlos Ruiz, catcher, Philadelphia.

Ruiz has started for the Phillies for the past six years. But at 34, he won’t be in his prime much longer.

With the Phillies falling from grace, Ruiz would make good trade bait for a team that should begin thinking about building around younger talent. He hit .325 with 68 RBIs and 16 homeruns in 114 games last season. He hasn’t played more than 132 games, which he did in 2011, in a season in his career. But given the Yankees current platoon situation, Cervelli and Stewart should complement Ruiz nicely for a combined 50 to 60 games.

A factor in the Yankees favor is Ruiz’s 25-game amphetamine-use suspension. While he won’t be able to start until May, he can provide solid pop after a month. More importantly, it helps decrease his trade value by a little.

2) Ryan Doumit, catcher, Minnesota.

The Twins got good use out of Doumit last season while they moved around Joe Mauer to keep him from being the everyday catcher. Doumit hit .275 and had 75 RBIs to pair with 18 homeruns last season.

Doumit will no doubt be valuable to the Twins, so he won’t come cheap. But if the Yankees send Cervelli as part of a prospect package, the Twins would still have a catcher that could keep Mauer from squatting for nine innings every game.

A bonus for the Yankees: Doumit is two years younger than Ruiz and has been on the rise the past two seasons.

3) Michael Morse, outfielder, Seattle.

Morse fell victim to a sell-high deal between the Nationals and Mariners. The 30-(soon to be 31)-year-old is in his prime. If he puts together another 2011-type season he will be the only bright spot for the Mariners other than Felix Hernadez.

But the Mariners have dealt high-quality recent acquisitions before. Cliff Lee signed with the club following the 2009 season. He was 8-3 for Seattle with a 2.34 ERA in 2010 when the Mariners shipped him off to Texas, where he helped engineer the Rangers’ first World Series appearance.

Seattle is a pit good players should hope they don’t fall in. And for some reason, management hasn’t made qualms about shipping them off for even more prospects.

Morse might not become available until the trading deadline, when Granderson will be well past back on the field. But if Yankees general manager Brian Cashman uses the relationship he built with the Jesus Montero trade, Morse could be an early season prize for the Yankees.

4) Delmon Young, outfielder, Philadelphia.

Young was a solid outfielder in Minnesota before going to Detroit in 2011. From there he declined slightly. Still, he hit .267 with 75 RBIs and a .707 on-base percentage last season for the Tigers.

Young is still only 27, so there isn’t the same incentive for the Phillies to trade him as there is with Ruiz. But if Philadelphia flounders out of the gate, the Yankees could add him at about the same time Granderson comes back. That would give them four outfield options and another DH option to boot.

The Yankees need a catcher first and foremost. But depending on how the Phillies start, Young might be the best option for a club trying to give its passionate fans something to cheer about.

5) Coco Crisp, outfielder, Oakland.

Crisp would join the list of former Red Sox turned Yankees.

Billy Beane has a bunch of options in the outfield already, including Chris Young, who was acquired over the winter, youngster Yoenis Cespedes and potential dark horse stud Seth Smith (he consistently drives in 50 runs and has maintained at least a .750 on-base percentage).

Crisp is 33 years old, but still has speed (he stole 39 bases last year). If Beane can find one of the misfit toys that he loves in the Yankees system, Gardner and Crisp could pack a punch of speed when they hit after each other (Gardner would bat ninth, Crisp would bat leadoff). That would allow Derek Jeter, who had a renaissance year in 2012, to move back into the second spot and possibly drive in one or both, if he hits like he did last season (.316 in 159 games).

Delmon Young is the if-this-happens option. Crisp is the get-him-to-spring-training-now option.

Bonus players: Josh Reddick or Smith are players Cashman should evaluate, too. Reddick is only 26 years old and slugged 32 homers and 85 RBIs last season. Beane will need to find a spot for Chris Young, and that could be DH and outfield, which means he and Reddick or he and Cespedes or he and Crisp would be splitting time between both. The A’s would be better served picking someone for each spot and going with him.

If Reddick and Crisp are both off limits, Smith would make a better platoon option down the road for the Yankees. And he should be a decent fill-in player until Granderson gets back.