The Yankees 25-man roster has been decimated with a series of unfortunate injuries.
First, it was Luis Severino, Dellin Betances, and Aaron Hicks in Spring Training. Now you can add Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Miguel Andujar, Troy Tulowitzki, Greg Bird, and Giancarlo Stanton to the list. Pair, all of those names with players who entered 2019 injured such as Didi Gregorius, Jordan Montgomery, Ben Heller, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Jordan Montgomery and you, have 14 players sitting on the injured list who all can play at a very high level.
Following a rehab stint on Monday in Charleston, SC with the RiverDogs, Sanchez is due back this week. Other than the All-Star catcher, the next closest man to returning is still at least a couple weeks away. In other words, it is time for general manager Brian Cashman to bring in some reinforcements. In this article, we take a look at seven former Yankees that could fit the bill.
Curtis Granderson, OF, Miami Marlins
Who wouldn’t want to hear John Sterling call another home run hit by the ‘Grandy Man.’ Granderson is just a terrific person and would immediately step in an be a mentor for young outfielders Mike Tauchman and Clint Frazier. His power would surely play up in Yankee Stadium, where he hit a combined 108 home runs over three seasons while playing in New York. The 38-year old would be a welcome addition to a depleted outfield that saw Aaron Judge hit the injured list a couple of days ago.
Martin Prado, UT, Miami Marlins
Adding a versatile piece like Prado would prove to be a huge benefit, especially if Miguel Andujar is out for the season. The 35-year old veteran is off to a terrific season, slashing .326/.370/.395 in 16 games. Prado can play all around the diamond, literally every position other than shortstop.
Neil Walker, UT, Miami Marlins
Walker isn’t off to the best start for Derek Jeter’s Marlins. However, beggars can’t be choosers. He would be a cheap acquisition that could fill the void until Troy Tulowitzki and Greg Bird returns.
Starlin Castro is among the several former Yankees that would a good option for a reunion. (Martin Griff)
Starlin Castro, 2B, Miami Marlins
While the likelihood of a reunion is very slim, Castro would be the biggest name on this list and foolish not to mention. The former All-Star second basemen would be an immediate impact bat in a very depleted Yankee lineup. The 29-year old is in the final year of his 7-year, $60 million contract he initially signed back when he was with the Chicago Cubs. The Dominican Republic native does have a club option for 2020 attached to him, but that could be bought out for a reasonable $1 million in the winter.
Yangervis Solarte, 3B, San Francisco Giants
The 31-year old Venezuelan would be welcomed back with open arms should Andujar’s right labrum require season-ending surgery. While his production has tailed off from his time in New York and San Diego, Solarte is an energetic, switch-hitting third baseman who plays the game hard.
Tyler Austin made his MLB debut along with Judge and with Judge on the IL could an Austin/Yankees reunion be in the cards? (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Tyler Austin, 1B/RF, San Francisco Giants
Yankee fans will always have a soft spot in their heart for Tyler Austin. After all, he was the first ‘Baby Bomber’ to break into the majors back in 2016. Who still gets goosebumps thinking about Austin and Judge’s first game in the bigs? Now that we’ve taken a trip down memory lane lets get to it. Austin fits the bill for a couple of reasons, he can play both first base and right field, his projects to have his best baseball still in the tank, and he would come at a very reasonable asking price.
Steve Pearce, 1B, Boston Red Sox
If you haven’t heard, the Red Sox won the World Series last season, and this guy was the Most Valuable Player. Pearce re-signed with the Red Sox on a reasonable one-year, $6,250,000 contract after his incredible postseason performance. Fast forward a couple of months to today, and as Boston continues to struggle, Pearce could be one of the first names to be shipped out. He is an analytics person’s dream to acquire as he rakes against lefties. He would be a great player to platoon with Luke Voit at first base.
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