Austin Romine hints he’s unhappy with his role as Yankees backup

No talented baseball player wants to be a backup. That sentiment seems to be creeping into the consciousness of Yankees backup catcher Austin Romine.

There’s a fine line between performing your role as a backup and being satisfied with it. Austin Romine typically walks that line like a tightrope for the New York Yankees. After the team’s offensive struggles as of late, it seems Romine might be moving towards becoming disgruntled.

When asked about his team’s recent offensive issues Romine told reporters that he was just the “backup catcher.” He went on to suggest that the media ask someone like the team’s hitting coach or other teammates about what’s going on with the Yankees offense.

He followed those quips up with his belief that this was just a temporary blip for the team’s offense. Romine is probably right on that score. The Yankees have too much firepower to lie dormant for too long. Still, he’s made it quite clear that he’s not content with his position on Aaron Boone’s squad.

In fairness to Romine, his offensive performance this season is certainly worthy of being a starter. He’s hitting .308 with four home runs in just 88 plate appearances. Most of his playing time comes when Sonny Gray is on the mount. He serves as the right hander’s personal catcher for the time being.

He also plays more than adequate defense behind the plate. Romine does an excellent of handling pitchers. He also happens to be the best catcher New York has at framing pitches. His ability to perform those duties put in him sharp contrast to the Yankees’ current starting catcher. Gary Sanchez does a lot of things well, but he’s certainly a weaker defender than Romine.

Sanchez’s theoretical advantage over Romine is with the bat in his hands. Unfortunately, Sanchez is currently hitting .194. On the plus side, he does have 14 home runs and 14 doubles in his 260 plate appearances. His power does make him one of the most dangerous hitters in the middle of Boone’s lineup. Still, it’s easy to see why Romine might think he’s deserving of his spot.

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In the long run, Sanchez will almost certainly snap out of this slump and make Romine’s argument moot. In the meantime though, it’s a situation Yankees fans should be watching. Boone can’t afford any discord in the clubhouse. The team needs harmony if they are going to successfully capture the AL East crown.