You can’t really go wrong

sive caddy during the Yankees’ too-brief postseason run. Andujar ended up sitting out the entirety of the Yankees’ do-ordie Game 4, a game they lost by a single run. (Should he have sat is another question entirely.) Having a player that can make an impact, or at least, not be a complete liability, clearly matters to the Yankees.

Urshela will be just 28 the entire duration of the 2020 regular season, so it’s reasonable to expect some more prime play. He’s not arbitration-eligible until 2021 (per Baseball Reference), while Andujar gets his first big pay raise next year. Sticking with Gio means saving some on salary so the Yankees can reinvest the savings in their team, well– let’s see if they do that first.

Moreover, this might be a real talent improvement. Urshela may be the team’s good luck charm, but when he’s at the plate, he’s not getting lucky. His 2019 exit velocity is 90.7, five whole miles harder than it was in 2018. He’s not hacking, either. Last year, his K% was 21.7%. Right now, it’s down to 15.9%. His expected batting average is .308, placing him in the top 3% in all of baseball, per Statcast. So, there’s good reason to believe that the Urshela we see here is here to stay.

THE CASE FOR ANDUJAR

The case for Miguel Andujar starts with a longstanding rival’s third baseman, and the patience the Red Sox gave to Rafael Devers. His .320 batting average is second in the American League (behind DJ LeMahieu), his .562 slugging percentage is fifth in the league. Alongside Xander Boaegarts and JD Martinez, two other right-handed sluggers who struggled at times during their early twenties, Devers is anchoring the defending champions’ lineup, which leads all of baseball in runs scored.

Of course Andujar, when healthy, has never struggled. For all the praise we can heap on Urshela, Andujar did the exact same thing on offense during his age-23 season, when he was four years younger than Urshela is now. Gio’s squarely in his expected prime — it’s hard to count on significant growth. Andujar, however, could have an offensive upside that can’t be ignored. Maybe the Yankees should cultivate it.

KEEP THEM BOTH

If there’s one lesson from the 2019 Yankees season, it’s this: You can never have enough depth. The Yankees are stacked with corner infielders on their 40 man roster, including Luke Voit, DJ LeMahieu, Andujar and Urshela — shoot, Greg Bird started on Opening Day.

Monday night’s first baseman? Mike Ford. (Who, of course, hit a home run. “Next man up,” etc.)

Right now, Andujar and Urshela play the same primary position. Yet, injuries happen — ask both Andujar and Urshela, who had a much-needed day of rest against the Orioles after fouling pitches off both his legs against the Red Sox Sunday — and knowing you can plug in a top-notch hitter to help an ailing player makes it all the more likely the Yankees survive the next setback, and the setback after that. (And the one after that.)

The Yankees have a decision to make in 2020, because both studs deserve regular at-bats. Sometimes, the best move is the one you don’t make.