The New York Yankees have already been bitten by the injury bug before the start of the regular season. Designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is going to start the year on the injured list with injuries to both of his elbows, so the Yankees will be missing a key piece for at least the start of the year.
Yankees could pursue free agent J.D. Martinez
Therefore, New York may need to make another move before Opening Day to fortify their lineup and make up for Stanton’s absence. Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report expects the Yankees to sign veteran J.D. Martinez before Opening Day, even going as far as placing him in their projected lineup.
“With Giancarlo Stanton shelved with elbow tendinitis, the Yankees have reportedly been in contact with veteran J.D. Martinez, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Don’t be surprised if a deal gets done in the near future; otherwise, Ben Rice is the leading in-house candidate for an expanded role,” Reuter wrote.
Martinez, 37, had a major drop-off in production last season with the New York Mets. He hit just 16 home runs and posted a .725 OPS, his lowest since 2013 with the Houston Astros. However, he still can be a strong bat in the Yankees’ lineup, and he’d be an immediate fallback option with the uncertainty around Stanton’s injury.
Martinez would be a serviceable Stanton replacement
Additionally, he’d be a cheap signing who can hold down the fort while Stanton remains out. The Yankees have attempted to shed payroll since the start of the offseason and while they have been successful doing that, they have struggled to move Marcus Stroman’s $18.5 million contract.
It will become even tougher for them to move his contract now given that Luis Gil is being shut down for at least six weeks with a high-grade lat strain. Therefore, the Yankees might need Stroman this season, so they would have to lower the bar a bit to sign Martinez.
Nevertheless, a deal between Martinez and the Yankees could come soon, and he would be an ideal replacement for the injured Stanton until he is ready to return.