The New York Yankees Have A Big Question Mark At First-base – Options?

New York Yankees, Luke Voit

While the media is distracted with the revolving door of Manny Machado to the New York Yankees, we are going to take a look at the first-base situation.

In 2018, both Greg Bird and Luke Voit split time at first-base, with the latter proving to be the more consistent throughout the course of the season. General manager Brian Cashman has been an avid advocate for Bird, who has failed to return from an injured foot and struggled mightily at the plate.

Bird hit .199 last season with 11 home runs and 78 strikeouts over 272 at bats. He struck out nearly a third of his at-bat total. That’s concerning. His defense on the other hand was solid, but not any better than Voit, who’s the more efficient hitter batting .333 over 132 at-bats.

While Voit stepped up to the plate about half as many times, he was extremely significant to the lineup, amassing 14 home runs and 39 strikeouts.

What other options could the New York Yankees explore?

Free agent options at first base are slim for the Yankees, and it seems as if Cashman is keen on sticking with the two rotational players he already has on the roster. I would anticipate him starting the hot hand on any given game. Bird will need to elevate his game to earn a consistent role, as I would expect Voit to start the year at first-base.

Other options would include Lucas Duda (33) and Wilmer Flores (27):

Duda is formerly of Atlanta, with a hitting line of in 2018 — .241/.313/.418

Lucas is a nine-year veteran that has plenty of value left to spare. He could be a more consistent option for the Yankees but would cost somewhere in the $5-6 million per-season range.

Flores on the other hand hit .267/.319/.736 — he’s a consistent batter and is only 27 years-old. He would ultimately be the better options of the two but might cost a bit more.

Personally, I believe the Yankees stick with the guys they already have, as Voit was sold and Bird has potential. Instilling confidence in struggling players can often do the trick.

 

Mentioned in this article:

More about: