The New York Yankees have a lot of major decisions to make, including what to do with aging DH Giancarlo Stanton. History has shown Stanton’s power helping the Yankees thrive and playing a major role in the 2024 MLB World Series appearance. Unfortunately, the aging process has diminished Stanton to see the Yankees losing faith in him. The New York Daily News revealed that Stanton is no longer the clear DH:
“While Stanton is healthy now, there is no guarantee that he’ll go back to being the Yankees’ full-time designated hitter next season. Brian Cashman said so himself last week. The Yankees, meanwhile, have several other players who could fill the DH spot.
Ben Rice is one of them, as he essentially became nothing but a DH after the team acquired fellow first baseman Luis García Jr. ahead of the trade deadline. Aaron Judge could also benefit from more DH days after his own injury-plagued campaign. While the expectation is that he’ll still spend most of his time in right field, Judge is going to be 35 in April and only played in 66 games this year.”
The claims of Rice and Judge needing time at DH would end Stanton’s chances of being an everyday hitter. Slower speed and horrendous defense prevent Stanton from playing outfield, unless it’s an emergency. Spencer Jones and Cody Bellinger have two of the three outfield spots on lock entering next season.
Best Yankees Scenario For Giancarlo Stanton
The only way for Stanton to play most games at DH would require the Yankees to ignore defensive woes. Rice at first base and Garcia playing an infield spot creates two flawed defensive positions already. Anthony Volpe is expected to fully make the move from shortstop to second base to have another playing changing positions. Starting shortstop George Lombard Jr was one of the worst overall defenders in all of baseball last season. Stanton getting the DH spot means that the defense will be flawed in the entire infield. Judge playing right field most games also add more concern there since he’s better off in the DH spot. Stanton is unfortunately in a situation where the Yankees can’t rely on his offense enough to warrant accepting the bad defense.
Could Giancarlo Stanton Leave The Yankees?
Rumors have circulated about the Yankees potentially buying out Stanton’s contract after another season of injuries. Poor play from Jazz Chisholm and Ryan McMahon saw the Yankees hoping to add Stanton back to the lineup all season. Stanton did not return until the postseason where he was a pinch hitter and couldn’t get a hit. The Yankees could opt to fully move on from Stanton and add a new everyday position player in his spot, but that plan has its own risks and concerns. Smart money would be on the Yankees keeping Stanton and having him as a part-time DH. Judge would split the time at DH with Stanton and allow the slugger to play when Judge is in right field. Regardless, Stanton is likely never going to be an everyday hitter again unless he gets moved somewhere that needs a full-time DH.
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