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The Opener: Opening Day, Soto, Baker

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Here are three things we’ll be following around baseball as the 2025 season gets underway:

1. Opening Day has arrived:

The 2025 MLB regular season technically began in Tokyo earlier this month with a two-game set between the Dodgers and Cubs. Yet, today marks the first game of the season for 26 of the league’s 30 teams. The Yankees and Brewers will kick things off with the first matchup of the day at 2:05 pm CT, and games will continue throughout the afternoon and evening, ending with contests between the Cubs and Diamondbacks and the Athletics and Mariners at 9:10 pm CT. Only the Rays and Rockies will have to wait one more day to get their seasons started, as the Rays have been given some extra time to prepare their new, temporary stadium, George M. Steinbrenner Field.

2. Roster spot for Livan Soto?

Livan Soto does not have a spot on the Orioles’ 40-man roster, nor has he been informed he’s breaking camp. However, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports that the young infielder has a locker in the visiting clubhouse at the Rogers Centre ahead of today’s Opening Day matchup between the Orioles and Blue Jays.

Baltimore acquired Soto from the Reds ahead of the trade deadline last summer. The 24-year-old came with limited big league experience (23 games, 74 PA), but the O’s took advantage of his optionability and defensive versatility to use him as an up-and-down depth piece for the bench. He went 3-for-10 with an .862 OPS in 12 games, taking reps at second base, third base, and shortstop. The Orioles DFA’d Soto in January but invited him to big league camp this spring. Whether or not he makes the Opening Day roster likely depends on the status of fellow utility man Jorge Mateo. Mateo underwent elbow surgery last season and has been slowly building up this spring. It remains unclear if he’ll need to start the year on the IL, but if he does, Soto would presumably take his spot on the active roster. For what it’s worth, Kubatko points out that Mateo does not currently have a locker in Toronto.

3. The Orioles’ final bullpen spot:

Orioles right-hander Bryan Baker finds himself in a similar position to Soto. As Kubatko notes, Baker has not yet been informed if he has made the Opening Day roster, but he too has a locker at the Rogers Centre. Unlike Soto, however, Baker is already on Baltimore’s 40-man and is out of minor league options. In other words, it would be bigger news if Baker didn’t make the Opening Day roster, as the Orioles would have to designate him for assignment. What’s more, Kubatko reports that neither Matt Bowman nor Roansy Contreras, Baker’s biggest competitors for the final bullpen spot, has a locker in Toronto. It certainly seems like the job is his.

The 30-year-old Baker pitched well for Baltimore in his rookie season two years ago, putting up a 3.49 ERA and 3.35 SIERA in 66 games. He followed that up with a solid sophomore campaign (3.60 ERA, 4.14 SIERA in 46 games) but spent most of the final two months of the season at Triple-A after the trade deadline. This past year, he was optioned and recalled five times throughout the campaign. While his 5.01 ERA in 19 games was poor, his underlying numbers (3.48 SIERA, 3.59 xERA) remained solid.

Randy Dobnak Will Make Twins Roster

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Over the weekend, the Twins told reporters (including Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press) that Rule 5 draft pick Eiberson Castellano would not make the Opening Day roster. That decision meant Minnesota would soon have an open spot on the 40-man – the Twins can’t keep Castellano if he isn’t on the active roster or the IL. It also meant the team had one more spot to fill in the Opening Day bullpen. Today, Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune reported that both of those spots will go to Randy Dobnak. The right-hander will take on a long relief role to begin the year (per Nightengale).

Dobnak, 30, has spent his entire career in the Twins organization. He signed with the club as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and made his big league debut just two years later. The righty earned a regular role in the rotation the following season, making 10 starts with a 4.05 ERA and 4.56 SIERA during the shortened 2020 campaign. Although he failed to miss many bats (13.5% strikeout rate), Dobnak led all pitchers (min. 40 IP) with a 62.1% groundball rate. He faced 200 batters and allowed just three home runs.

That performance earned Dobnak a nice little extension ahead of 2021, a five-year, $9.25MM guarantee with escalators and club options that could increase the total value of the contract to $29.75MM over eight years. Yet, the Twins put him back in the bullpen to start the season, and while he ultimately made it back to the rotation for a handful of starts, he struggled in both roles. Across 14 games (six starts) and 50 2/3 innings, he pitched to a 7.64 ERA, though his 4.53 SIERA was almost identical to his SIERA from the year before.

Things continued trending downhill for Dobnak in 2022, and he ended up sitting out most of the season with a right middle finger strain, an injury that had also given him trouble in 2021. While he was healthy again in 2023, he did not make his way back to the big league roster, spending the season with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. Dobnak finally returned to the majors in 2024, albeit briefly, tossing 9 2/3 innings in relief. He gave up six runs on 11 hits and five walks, while striking out seven. All told, he has a career 4.99 ERA and 4.43 SIERA over 135 1/3 innings, including 21 starts and 17 games out of the ’pen.

The Twins initially reassigned Dobnak to minor league camp two weeks ago, but evidently, he pitched well enough over there to change the team’s mind. Now in the final guaranteed year of his contract, Dobnak is a useful depth piece for Minnesota. He has experience as both a starter and a reliever, and he has thrown at least 125 innings in each of the past two seasons. What’s more, the Twins can add him to the 40-man and subsequently outright him as much as they would like with little risk of losing him. He does not have the necessary MLB service time to reject an outright assignment without forfeiting his remaining salary.

Connor Norby To Begin Season On Marlins’ Injured List

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The Marlins suffered a tough blow today, with the news that promising young infielder Connor Norby will miss approximately four weeks with a Grade 1 left oblique strain. Manager Clayton McCullough broke the news to reporters, including Christina De Nicola of MLB.com, this morning. Norby, 24, suffered the injury while taking a swing on Saturday evening.

The Marlins acquired Norby and outfielder Kyle Stowers from the Orioles ahead of the trade deadline last summer, in exchange for left-hander Trevor Rogers. Both Baseball America and Keith Law of The Athletic ranked Norby as one of Baltimore’s top 10 prospects heading into the 2024 season, but with players like Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg, Jackson Holliday, and Coby Mayo ahead of him on the infield depth chart, it was never clear if he had a future with the club. Conversely, he has a clear path to playing time in Miami (once healthy). After the Fish called him up last August, he appeared in 36 games over the final six weeks of the season, mostly splitting his time between second and third base. He hit seven home runs, drew 15 walks, and produced a 108 wRC+ across 162 trips to the plate.

Norby was in line for an everyday third base role with the rebuilding Marlins in 2025. That job should still be his to lose upon his return, but the Marlins will have to get by without one of their better projected hitters for the first month of the season. The fact that Norby looks like one of the better offensive players on Miami’s roster says far more about the pitiful state the Marlins are in right now than it does about Norby himself. Still, this is a tough loss for a team that already has so little to look forward to in 2025, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Jesús Sánchez is also set to miss at least the first two weeks with an oblique injury.

Earlier today, De Nicola reported that Graham Pauley would earn the final spot on the Opening Day roster if Norby did indeed start the season on the IL. Pauley, another 24-year-old third baseman, joined the Marlins from the Padres as part of the Tanner Scott trade last summer. He played 13 games with San Diego at the big league level in 2024, going 4-for-32 with 15 strikeouts and no walks. Once a relatively well-regarded prospect, his stock fell last year as he struggled to hit at Triple-A or in the majors. Nonetheless, as one of this team’s few options to play third base, he could see a good amount of playing time while Norby is out.

Another option to cover at third base for the Fish is Eric Wagaman. Like Pauley, Wagaman made his MLB debut last year and struggled to make much of an impact in a handful of games. He is also three years older than Pauley and comes with less of a prospect pedigree. The Marlins clearly saw something they liked in Wagaman when they signed him to a major league contract this offseason, but Pauley seems to be the better upside play. Jonah Bride, 29, is expected to take most of his reps at first base or DH, but he has 61 games of MLB experience at the hot corner and could fill in there temporarily. In addition, utility player Javier Sanoja, 22, has played third base in the minors, though he has not suited up there regularly since 2021.

Offseason In Review: Philadelphia Phillies

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After winning the NL East for the first time in 13 years, the Phillies had their quietest offseason since Dave Dombrowski took over as president of baseball operations. Some will say the Phillies didn’t need to make any major moves, considering that almost all of their key contributors are returning for another year. Others will argue they are playing a dangerous game by largely running it back, allowing the Mets and Braves to gain precious ground. Is this team moving in the right direction heading into 2025?

Major League Signings

2025 spending: $22.5MM
Total spending: $22.5MM

Trades & Claims

Option Decisions

  • None

Notable Minor League Signings

Notable Losses

The Phillies have enjoyed continued success under manager Rob Thomson, so it came as no shock when they began their offseason by extending the skipper through 2026. The team was also quick to confirm that Thomson’s full coaching staff would return in 2025, although they later lost assistant pitching coach/director of pitching Brian Kaplan to the Diamondbacks. Philadelphia’s pitching staff was arguably the best in baseball during Kaplan’s tenure working under Caleb Cotham (2022-24). The Phillies will hope that Cotham’s new second-in-command, Mark Lowy, has just as much success. In an additional personnel move, the Phillies promoted assistant GM Preston Mattingly to vice president and general manager. Those roles were previously held by Sam Fuld, who will remain with the organization in a new role on the business side of operations. 

At the same press conference in which Dombrowski announced Thomson’s extension, the POBO spoke the words that became the defining refrain of the Phillies’ offseason: “We just have to be open-minded to exploring what’s out there for us, talk to some clubs and see what ends up happening. That process hasn’t started. Sometimes you trade good players for good players” (per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki). 

Needless to say, that quotation led to much speculation about the Phillies making a major trade to shake things up. In particular, Alec Bohm was the subject of several trade rumors. The Royals, Mariners, Angels, and Athletics were all reported to have some degree of interest in the third baseman at one time or another. Coming off an All-Star campaign, Bohm’s value hasn’t been higher since he finished runner-up for the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year. However, there seemed to be a disconnect between how highly the Phillies valued Bohm and how badly any potential suitors were hankering after his services. For instance, the Phillies reportedly asked for Mason Miller from the A’s in exchange for Bohm, which quickly shut down any negotiations between the two teams (per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal). 

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Brayan Bello To Begin Season On Injured List

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March 11: Bello will indeed begin the season on the 15-day IL, Cora announced this morning (via MassLive’s Sean McAdam). He’ll continue building arm strength with an eye toward an early April return.

March 8: Red Sox starter Brayan Bello has not yet pitched a game this spring, as shoulder soreness has kept him on the shelf. Last weekend, the young right-hander expressed optimism that he would still be able to make the Opening Day roster, telling reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) that he was “right on track” as long as he could continue with the rehab work he was doing.

Today, however, Rob Bradford of WEEI reports that Bello looks “increasingly” unlikely to break camp with the Red Sox. According to manager Alex Cora, the righty is making good progress but remains behind schedule. At this point, it’s hardly surprising that Bello could start the season on the IL. Opening Day is less than three weeks away, and he has not seen any game action in spring training.

In three MLB seasons, Bello has not yet lived up to his top prospect billing. Still, he has pitched like a capable back-end starter, putting up a 4.42 ERA and 4.14 SIERA over 71 games (69 starts). He has averaged just over 5 1/3 innings per start and just over 2.1 FanGraphs WAR per 162 innings pitched. The Red Sox would surely be happy if Bello could give them exactly that in 2025, but he still has the potential to be even better. He won’t turn 26 until May, and his upside is undeniable. He leads with a 95.7 mph sinker, helping him induce groundballs at a high rate, while his slider and changeup give him two good weapons for generating whiffs. In 2022, the prospect evaluators at Baseball America, FanGraphs, and The Athletic all described him as a potential mid-rotation arm.

If Bello does indeed begin the season on the IL, MLB.com’s Ian Browne infers that either Richard Fitts or Quinn Priester could fill in as Boston’s number five starter. The winner of that battle would slot in behind Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, Walker Buehler, and Lucas Giolito. Kutter Crawford should provide rotation depth at some point in 2025, but he is nursing a knee injury and is further behind than Bello this spring. Cooper Criswell is another arm on the 40-man with starting experience, but he seems to be lower down the depth chart than Fitts and Priester, both of whom have seen better results (albeit in a minuscule sample size) this spring.

The error bars are wide for the Red Sox’s rotation in 2025. If the most important arms stay healthy, Boston could have one of the best rotations in the sport. On the other hand, almost every starter the Red Sox have – including Crochet, Buehler, Giolito, and Patrick Sandoval – comes with some degree of injury risk. Bello has stayed relatively healthy throughout his career. He has spent time on the IL in each of his first three seasons, but none of those IL stints lasted longer than three weeks. If Bello needs to miss time, the Red Sox will hope that trend of brief IL stints continues in 2025.

Gerrit Cole To Have Tommy John Surgery

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The Yankees have announced that ace Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday. Dr. Neal ElAttrache will perform the procedure. The team will provide further updates following the surgery, but there is no doubt that the 2023 AL Cy Young winner will miss the entire 2025 season.

Cole, 34, went for diagnostic tests on his elbow last week. He told reporters he was “concerned” by the results of the initial testing but expressed some hope that a second opinion could assuage the worst of his concerns. Unfortunately, Cole’s appointment today with Dr. ElAttrache only confirmed that the right-hander needs Tommy John to repair a torn UCL in his pitching arm.

This is a crushing blow to the reigning AL champions. The typical recovery timeline for Tommy John surgery is roughly 12-18 months. New York survived without Cole for just under three months last season when elbow inflammation kept him out until mid-June. This year, the Yankees will have to get by without their number one starter at all. They must be glad they won the bidding war to sign Max Fried this offseason, inking the two-time All-Star to an eight-year, $218MM deal. The southpaw will now lead a rotation that also features Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt. Rounding out the starting five to begin the year will likely be Marcus Stroman (whom the Yankees are surely glad they didn’t trade earlier this offseason) and top pitching prospect Will Warren. Last year’s AL Rookie of the Year, Luis Gil, will miss the beginning of the year with a lat strain but will hopefully return sometime in June. Non-roster invitee  Carlos Carrasco is another arm who could offer rotation depth.

That group of arms could still make up a perfectly capable starting rotation for a contending club, but the error bars are much wider now, and there is no question the Yankees are a much less dangerous World Series contender without Cole. It doesn’t help that they’re also dealing with injury issues on the other side of the ball. Veteran bats Giancarlo Stanton (elbows) and DJ LeMahieu (calf) are likely to miss the beginning of the season.

Presumably, the Yankees will consider their options to upgrade their rotation externally. Available free agents include Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, and Spencer Turnbull, although none of those names offer anything close to the star power the Yankees lost. Thus, if GM Brian Cashman wants to find a top-of-the-rotation replacement for Cole, he’ll have to turn to the trade market. Some of the most interesting potential trade candidates include Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins, Luis Castillo of the Mariners, and Dylan Cease and Michael King of the Padres. The most recent reporting on all of those pitchers suggests that an offseason trade is unlikely, but a desperate Yankees team could certainly change that.

The Yankees had a chance to part ways with the six-time All-Star this offseason when Cole triggered his opt-out clause in November. The team could have blocked his opt-out by adding another year and $36MM to the end of his contract, which they chose not to do. However, the two sides ultimately agreed to stick together as if Cole had never triggered his opt-out in the first place, with the Yankees keeping him around for the four years and $144MM remaining on his original guaranteed deal. In other words, while the Yankees may have had their concerns about Cole’s longevity, they could not have been overly worried that his elbow troubles would rear their ugly head again so soon.

From 2017-22, Cole led all pitchers with 173 starts and 1070 2/3 innings pitched. He dealt with some elbow inflammation in 2016, but from then until 2024, his only IL stint was due to COVID-19 protocols. In an age of ever-increasing arm injuries and ever-decreasing inning counts, Cole has been a workhorse, topping 200 innings in a season six times in the last ten years. Sadly, his run of healthy seasons came to an end last year, and this coming season will be the first since 2012 in which Cole does not pitch. Instead, he will turn his focus toward his rehab in an effort to miss as little of the 2026 campaign as possible.

Image courtesy of Imagn.

Yasmani Grandal Reportedly Turned Down Offer From Braves “About A Month Ago”

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According to reporter Francys Romero, the Braves made an offer to free agent catcher Yasmani Grandal “about a month ago.” Needless to say, Grandal, who remains unsigned, turned down the proposed deal. The terms of Atlanta’s offer were not included in Romero’s report.

Grandal, 36, is the top catcher remaining on the free agent market. Depending on how teams view James McCann and Yan Gomes, Grandal is arguably the only unsigned catcher capable of filling more than a backup role. During his best years, he was widely considered one of the top catchers in the sport. His performance dropped off significantly in 2022 and ’23, but he rebounded with the Pirates in 2024. His offensive numbers were slightly above average for a catcher in nearly every category, while his top-notch pitch framing numbers made him a valuable defender behind the dish. He finished the season with 1.4 FanGraphs WAR in 72 games played.

Up until recently, one might have thought the Braves were set at catcher. Sean Murphy is entering the third year of his six-year, $73MM contract extension, and the Braves surely want him to play as much as possible. While he had a down year in 2024, he is only one year removed from an All-Star season in 2023. In addition, the consensus top prospect in Atlanta’s system is catcher Drake Baldwin. Soon to be 24, Baldwin excelled at Triple-A last year and has continued to excel this spring. He looks ready to make his MLB debut. It’s hard to imagine how Grandal would have fit into the mix.

However, things changed last week when the Braves announced that Murphy would miss four to six weeks with a cracked rib cage. That makes Baldwin the likely Opening Day starter. All of a sudden, the youngster is facing far more pressure to succeed right away. Thus, if the Braves had any interest in Grandal last month, one would think that interest would only be greater now that Murphy is set to miss extended time. Indeed, Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported a few days ago that the Braves were “considering” Grandal and McCann.

From Grandal’s perspective, signing with the Braves might now seem more appealing than it did last month. He would have a clear path to regular playing time (or at least a split role with Baldwin) while Murphy is on the shelf. That might only be for a couple of weeks, but even so, it would give Grandal a chance to prove he still deserves a major league opportunity, whether in Atlanta or somewhere else. The Braves are the only team known to have expressed interest in Grandal this winter, but perhaps another club could look to acquire him if he gets a big league gig and plays well.

Romero notes that Grandal is hoping to continue his playing career, though he could consider retirement if the right deal doesn’t come together. The 36-year-old has enjoyed a highly successful 13-year tenure in Major League Baseball with the Padres, Dodgers, Brewers, White Sox, and Pirates. At his peak, he was a well-above-average offensive catcher, putting up an .807 OPS and a 121 wRC+ over his first 10 seasons. However, his most valuable tool has always been his glove. In particular, Grandal is widely considered one of the most talented pitch framers of his generation. According to FanGraphs, he has racked up 152.0 framing runs throughout his career, easily the most among active catchers. Austin Hedges ranks second with 89.3. If Grandal chooses to hang up his catching gear, he will certainly have a strong career to look back on.

Erik Sabrowski Likely To Start Season On IL

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Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski has not appeared in a game this spring as he nurses inflammation in his pitching elbow. While there is no indication that the issue is particularly serious, any elbow problems are concerning when it comes to a pitcher who has already undergone two Tommy John surgeries in his career. According to MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins, Sabrowski was given “an anti-inflammatory injection” this past week. The southpaw will take some time to rest before being re-examined next week – and hopefully starting a throwing program soon after. However, this setback means he is likely to begin the 2025 season on the IL.

Never a highly-ranked prospect, Sabrowski burst onto the scene last September, tossing 12 2/3 innings and striking out 19. Of the 47 batters he faced, not one crossed the plate. Only six reached base. Despite his lack of experience, the left-hander made Cleveland’s postseason roster and continued to impress in October. He faced 23 batters over 5 1/3 innings, striking out eight. He gave up two runs, though only one was earned.

The star of Sabrowski’s arsenal is his four-seam fastball. He doesn’t throw it especially hard, but his long extension increases the pitch’s perceived velocity. He also gets great movement on the pitch, and it’s his best weapon for generating swing and miss. The 27-year-old complements his heater with two breaking balls – a curveball and a slider – both of which have the potential to be plus secondaries.

After his strong performance in 2024, Sabrowski seemed like a good bet to make the Guardians’ Opening Day roster and pitch meaningful innings out of the bullpen in 2025. While the former is now unlikely, the latter is still a strong possibility. Not only is Sabrowski a promising arm – the ZiPS projection system sees him posting an ERA in the mid-3.00s – but he is one of only two left-handed relievers with MLB experience on Cleveland’s 40-man roster. With Sabrowski on the shelf, RosterResource currently has Tim Herrin and Doug Nikhazy as the lefties in the projected Opening Day bullpen. Herrin is a lock, but Nikhazy has no MLB experience and next to no experience pitching out of the ’pen. If Sabrowski can get back to full health soon, he should have a job waiting for him.

José Valdivielso Passes Away

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Former MLB shortstop José Valdivielso passed away on Tuesday. He was 90 years old. His obituary is available courtesy of a New York funeral home.

Born in Matanzas, Cuba, Valdivielso made his MLB debut with the Washington Senators in 1955. He earned a down-ballot MVP vote at the end of his rookie season. Valdivielso would later move with the organization to Minnesota when the Senators became the team known today as the Twins. Over 401 games from 1955-1961, the 6-foot-1 infielder recorded 201 hits and scored 89 runs. Primarily a shortstop, he also appeared in a handful of games at both second and third base. He is well-remembered among Cuban fans for making the final out in the only all-Cuban triple play (h/t Francys Romero).

Although he played his last MLB game in 1961, Valdivielso spent three more seasons in the minor leagues from 1962-64. Following his playing career, he worked on the Spanish-language radio broadcast teams for both the Yankees and Mets. He was also well respected for his work with the MLB Players Alumni Association.

We at MLB Trade Rumors offer our deepest condolences to Valdivielso’s family and friends, as well as everyone whose life he touched throughout his career in baseball.

Giancarlo Stanton Has “Severe” Injuries In Both Elbows

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Giancarlo Stanton offered an update this morning about the elbow injuries that have kept him from playing this spring. He told reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that the problem is “considered severe” in each of his elbows. The Yankees DH remains uncertain as to when he will be able to return to baseball activities of any kind. While he does not yet know if double elbow surgery will be necessary, he said that if he goes under the knife, the surgeries will rule him out for the 2025 season. Thankfully, GM Brian Cashman recently described surgery as a “last resort” for Stanton (per Hoch).

The 35-year-old has received two rounds of PRP injections in both elbows, and he will go for a third round next week. While Stanton is currently with the rest of his Yankees teammates at camp, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Hoch) that the DH is unlikely to see any game action in spring training. Last weekend, the Yankees announced that Stanton would open the season on the IL. They did not provide a timetable for his return. Today’s update doesn’t necessarily push that already uncertain timeline back any further, but Stanton’s use of the word “severe” certainly isn’t promising, nor is the possibility that he could miss the entire 2025 campaign.

It is hard to know what to think about the fact that Stanton attributed his elbow problems to “bat adjustments” he made in 2024. On the one hand, it’s encouraging that he was able to identify the problem; hopefully, that means he knows how to avoid reaggravating the issue once he starts to swing a bat again. On the other hand, Stanton’s powerful swing is his signature skill. Even in his mid-thirties, he had the fastest swing speed in MLB last season, according to Statcast. It’s worth wondering if he can make the necessary bat adjustments to keep his elbows safe without weakening his swing.

While it has been years since Stanton was a true superstar, he was still a valuable contributor to New York’s pennant-winning squad in 2024. He crushed 27 home runs with 72 RBI and a 116 wRC+. His bat was particularly potent in the playoffs; he hit seven homers in 14 games, with a team-leading 16 RBI. The Yankees made some solid additions to the top half of their order this winter, trading for Cody Bellinger and signing free agent Paul Goldschmidt. Still, their offense does not project to be quite as potent without Juan Soto to bat in front of Aaron Judge. Losing Stanton for any period of time will only further weaken the lineup.

Boone said earlier this week that he likes the in-house candidates the team has to replace Stanton, “especially against right-handed pitching” (per Hoch). That could mean using Judge at DH more often and starting the lefty-batting Trent Grisham in the outfield. While Grisham’s bat is a far cry from Stanton’s, such an arrangement would improve the outfield defense and could help Judge stay healthy throughout the season. Another lefty-batting option to get some reps at DH is Ben Rice. Although he struggled in his rookie season (73 wRC+ in 178 PA), Rice mashed throughout the minors and could offer some power in Stanton’s stead. J.C. Escarra is another left-handed hitter on the 40-man roster. He’s nearing 30 and has yet to make his MLB debut, but he hit well last season in his first year in the Yankees organization. Dominic Smith, a veteran non-roster invitee in camp this spring, is another left-handed bat to keep in mind.

Meanwhile, the most likely option to join the mix against left-handed pitching, whether in the outfield or at DH, could be Everson Pereira. Like Rice, Pereira struggled in his brief debut last season but has always hit well – especially in the power department – in the minor leagues. In seven games this spring, Pereira is batting .375 with a 1.224 OPS. He has been limited to DH duty in spring training as he rehabs from UCL surgery, but he could eventually take some reps for Judge in the outfield as well.

Finally, one has to wonder if Cashman is thinking about making an offer to free agent J.D. Martinez. While the Yankees could not feasibly roster both Stanton and Martinez, season-ending surgery for the former could open the door for the latter. To that end, New York has reportedly had “some contact with” Martinez. In a recent MLBTR poll, a plurality of respondents voted the Yankees as the most likely landing spot for the 37-year-old DH.

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