The Yankees have found some pretty solid basemen options in Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, and Carlos Rodon. However, even the most diehard fans can not deny that the team has missed some left-field options that were available in the market. Historically, Leftfield has been the Achilles\’ heel for the Bombers. Thus, if the team wants to get its hand on the World Series title in th coming year, it will have to address the question. So let\’s look at some options that the Yankees could turn their eyes to.
Left-Fielder Options For The Yankees!
A question mark hangs over New York\’s winter, which has already seen the retention of Carlos Rodón and Aaron Judge, as well as the arrival of Anthony Rizzo. There is an obvious gap in the left field. The Yankees\’ offense in 2022 completely disappeared during the final stretch and the postseason. Therefore, the squad requires an additional left-handed contact batter to support the sluggers at the center of their order.
New York had an abundance of top-tier outfielders to pick from before this summer got underway. Following Andrew Benintendi\’s agreement to join the White Sox, Brandon Nimmo returned to the Mets, Michael Brantley signed a new contract with the Astros, and Japanese sensation Masataka Yoshida decided to join the Red Sox. The majority of the best outfielders who were free agents are no longer accessible, though.
To choose their starting left fielder for the upcoming season, New York Yankees have other options. They might make a deal in which they would like to acquire one of the important outfielders moving this offseason. As a backup plan, one might continue to use internal players like Estevan Florial, Aaron Hicks, and Oswaldo Cabrera.
Michael Conforto
The first name on the list is 29-year-old Michael Conforto. Michael is the lone remaining free-agent outfielder in the same league as Benintendi and Brandon Nimmo. He carries a lot of dangers. After having right shoulder surgery in the spring of 2021, Conforto did not play at all in 2022. However, he has a high ceiling and would appear to blend seamlessly in pinstripes. Injuries hampered Conforto\’s performance in 2021 as, again, appearing in only 125 games and batting.232/.344/.384. Since then, he has been a free agent. But looks like he is gaining some interest from Yankees\’ side.
David Peralta
Peralta\’s name kept coming up before this summer\’s trade deadline. However, He ultimately moved from Arizona to Tampa, where he had a.652 OPS over 47 games during the Rays\’ late-season stretch without hitting a home run. During his 34-year-old season this year, Peralta was attributed with plus-five outs over average. Given his performance against right-handed pitching, Peralta may be a viable platoon option for the Yankees.
Jurickson Profar
Profar had a stellar 2022 while playing with the Padres, recording a 15.7% strikeout rate and a top-tier 18.7% whiff rate. He can play everywhere on the field and is a switch-hitter. This autumn, he played for San Diego, where he gained postseason experience. Profar places the ball in play, although he usually doesn\’t strike it with much force. Previously, Jurickson recorded an 87.5 mph average exit velocity and a 4.0 barrel rate.
In addition to the names mentioned above, there are some other players like AJ Pollock, Adam Duvall, and Robbie Grossman, who the Yankees can consider.
Also Read: New York Yankees Signing Carlos Rodon Might have Been A Masterstroke, Here’s Why!