After seeing Bryce Harper terrorize the Atlanta Braves, Yankee fans can only ponder the free agents of winter’s past. At one point not too long ago, it seemed as if Harper and Manny Machado were future Yankees. They were both young, among the best players in the league, and were lifelong Yankee fans. They both wanted to wear the pinstripes as their childhood heroes had. That’s why Harper wears number 34 in honor of his hero Mickey Mantle, who sported number 7 (3+4=7). So why did they not become New York Yankees? How much could they have contributed now?
The Yankees have signed multiple free agents since the 2018 offseason and traded for key players. These include the likes of Gerrit Cole (free agent) and Giancarlo Stanton (trade). Cole has become arguably one of, if not the best pitcher in the league. He is the favorite to win this year’s American League Cy Young Award. Stanton, on the other hand, has had flashes of brilliance but has struggled to stay on the field. Their salaries are a combined $67-68 million a year, which equates to 23 percent of the Yankees payroll. Cole has been worth every penny so far, while Stanton has not lived up to expectations. A fan can wonder, what if the Yankees had spent their money elsewhere, such as on Harper and Machado?
Revisiting the Giancarlo Stanton Trade
Ex-Yankee Free Agent Hopefuls
In prior offseasons, the Yankees were also linked with Carlos Correa and Shohei Ohtani. In addition, there were trade links for Bryan Reynolds, Gerrit Cole (with the Pittsburgh Pirates), and Juan Soto. None of these deals came to be, although the front office was right to pass on a couple of these players.
To start, the Yankees did not acquire Bryce Harper and Manny Machado in 2018 because they had signed Stanton the year before. At that time, the Yankees were looking to get below the luxury tax and reset it. Owner Hal Steinbrenner did not want to keep paying extra for being over the tax. Also, he did not like the idea of giving away free money to a competitor, which is where the tax money goes. Because of Stanton’s contract, the Yankees decided to pass on the two stars. It has become a popular talking point in New York sports media to wonder what could have been if the Yankees signed one or both players.
On Baseball Night in New York, @BryanHoch gives his recollections on the Yankees’ missed opportunity with Bryce Harper, while he, @sal_licata, @martinonyc & @NYNJHarper discuss ramifications of the Giancarlo Stanton on signing Harper, and if he would’ve had the same success in NY pic.twitter.com/7vStxNSiAi
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 13, 2023
Giancarlo Stanton
If the Yankees had not traded for Stanton, one of or even both Harper and Machado could have been on the team. In hindsight, either of the two players now costs less in annual salary than Stanton, For most of their tenures with their respective teams, both have been healthy and even better than before free agency. This all adds up to the question of why the Yankees acquired Stanton if he does not seem like a fit. The reason is the Yankees wanted to acquire a big-time player after being a game away from the World Series in 2017. They acquired Stanton for a couple of minor-league prospects. The fans were excited about his arrival, but he was a similar player to a young rookie already on the Yankees. That rookie was Aaron Judge.
Both players are big-frame guys, with tons of power but a tendency to strike out. Also, being a bigger frame player increases your likelihood of injury, as has particularly been the case with Stanton. He has only played in 549 games out of a potential 870, missing almost a third of his total games as a Yankee. Despite being booed on his home debut going 0-for-5 with five strikeouts, he has handled the media well.
Stanton vs. Bryce Harper
The Giancarlo Stanton trade looked like a great deal when it happened, but unfortunately, a lot was already working against him from the beginning. He was almost 30 years old when he joined the Yankees and had an injury-prone history. The largest roadblock, however, is that he is not a left-handed hitter. An elite lefty bat is a must for Yankee Stadium. Arguably, the Yankees have not had a player like that since Robinson Cano. To his credit, Stanton has been the Yankees’ best postseason performer since joining the team. The question is what if the Yankees had acquired Bryce Harper instead of Giancarlo Stanton? At this point, Harper is looking like the preferable asset.
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