The New York Yankees could theoretically call it an offseason and enter spring training with Aaron Hicks in left field, Josh Donaldson at third base, and an open competition at shortstop. However, they know that if they want to beat the rest of the competition in the American League and, mainly, the Houston Astros, they can’t enter the season with Hicks or JD as regulars.
That’s why they keep looking for alternatives in left field. They lost out on most of the top free agents at the position but still have two cards left to play.
One of them involves giving up several quality prospects for Pittsburgh Pirates’ outfielder Bryan Reynolds, and the other one is free agent outfielder Jurickson Profar.
According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Yankees are looking at the former San Diego Padres outfielder as an option to solve their left-field situation. They don’t want to play Hicks and his .642 OPS in 2022, at least not regularly, and Profar represents a solid alternative.
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A relatively cheap left field alternative for the Yankees:
The Yanks may have competition, though. According to Bowden, the switch-hitter Jurickson Profar is a “real possibility” for the Colorado Rockies since they are looking to add a left-handed-hitting outfielder.
After a scintillating start in 2022, Profar settled in as a slightly above-average hitter with a .243/.331/.391 line and a 110 wRC+. He hit 15 home runs and stole five bases.
For his career, he is a 94 wRC+ hitter but could be closer to his 2022 version with the Yankees, having the short porch at his disposal and being part of a solid lineup and an organization with the resources to help get the best out of him.
The difference in talent between Profar and Reynolds is considerable in favor of the latter, but the former wouldn’t require giving up any prospects.
Will the Yankees really pursue Profar?