Theoretically, the Yankees are set at designated hitter for 2024 with Giancarlo Stanton. Yes, he’s coming off an injury-plagued season that produced career-worsts in OPS, slugging, on-base percentage, and batting average, but he’s still got power. And what else are Brian Cashman and Co. going to do with that whopping contract but play the man?
But Stanton has had trouble staying healthy, something Cashman recently noted in kind of a blunt manner. That prompted Stanton’s agent, Joel Wolfe, to release a thumb-in-yer-eye statement about how free agents, foreign and domestic, have to be made of Teflon, physically and mentally, to play for the Yankees.
The foreign bit is a reference to coveted Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, another Wolfe client.
Kerfuffle alert!
Could be something. Ultimately, though, it’s probably nothing. If Stanton is healthy, he’s productive – he’s had three 30-homer seasons with the Yankees, though he only hit 24 in 101 games last season. He also had a monster 2020 postseason in the Bronx, a reminder of the heights he can reach.
The trick is keeping him playable, which is an ongoing challenge for player and team. So with Stanton as a likely Yankee roster lock, what of contingency plans at DH? Any potential platoon partners out there? As always, we’re here to offer guidance with some suggestions.
Sign Shohei Ohtani
Hey, expensive disappointments sometimes need to lead to bold moves, so save your amateur GM routine, protesting having two DHs on the roster, another mega-contract, squawk, squawk, squawk.
The Yankee offense was terrible last year – better only in runs per game than the Marlins, Guardians, Tigers, White Sox and Athletics – and Ohtani is the mighty lefty bat they need.
Sign Ohtani and Stanton would become the left fielder the Yankees have neglected to acquire recently. He likes playing defense – and you use him there until the wheels come off. Judging by Cashman’s comments, the Yanks expect him to get injured at some point next season, so they must have coverage at DH and in the outfield.
Will Ohtani come east, which he did not want to do when he first came to the majors? Dunno. But the Bombers need to find out and, if he is, act accordingly. He would transform their offense and, perhaps starting in 2025, be able to pitch again, too.
Ohtani-less option
If Ohtani signs with the team that so many folks think he will – the Dodgers – that means LA likely won’t try to retain J.D. Martinez, who gave them a terrific season in 2023. Martinez, 36, is a right-handed hitter, but he’s usually a terrific source of firepower. In ‘23, he had 33 homers, 103 RBI, a .572 slugging percentage and an .893 OPS for the Dodgers.
Ideally, any addition at DH the Yankees make would be a lefty batter. Martinez hits right-handed, but he’s always done damage against both lefty and righty pitchers, so, depending on how the winter flows, he could be helpful in pinstripes.
