Most would agree that locking down Aaron Judge for the next decade is a prudent move. The New York Yankees avoided arbitration with their top young gun, finalizing an $8.5 million contract for 2020. Some believed they would extend a massive deal for the slugger, but holding out for one more year makes sense, as he will undoubtedly cash in on his abilities.
Keeping Judge on the East Coast should be a priority after he grew up in San Francisco. He has become an icon in New York and resembles the toughness and resiliency of the Yankees, despite sporting injuries the last two seasons. When healthy, Judge is one of the best hitters in baseball, and with the Yankees’ home-run centric mentality, they shouldn’t be looking to let him walk after his contract expires.
Aaron’s offensive and defensive qualities make him in-expendable, so expect to see the big outfielder in Pinstripes for many more years. However, while the outfield has plenty of reserve depth in case of injury, the infield isn’t in the same boat.
The New York Yankees need to be careful in the infield:
The Bombers have Thairo Estrada, Mike Ford, Miguel Andujar, and Tyler Wade as their primary reserve options. Relying on them to carry the load might not be the safest move, but manager Aaron Boone made it work in 2019 with career-average players.
Estrada is an exciting player, though, as he made an impact in 2019, despite his small sample size of 35 games. He slashed a serviceable .250/.294/.438 with a .732 OPS and 91 wRC+. While those numbers aren’t noteworthy, he’s an active utility player that can slot in around the infield. At the very least, he can provide decent offensive support to supplement injuries.
Ford, who’s primary a first baseman, will sit behind Luke Voit on the depth chart, and he could be used more frequently than imagined due to his lefty bat. The Yankees might be testing their luck a bit in the infield, but they have some of the best starting-level players in baseball.