The New York Yankees have some important decisions before the trade deadline. One of those priorities may be filling the need at first base while Anthony Rizzo recovers from injury.
Possible Trade Options at First Base For the Yankees
Rizzo was involved in a collision in the Boston Red Sox series, fracturing his right arm. The break will result in Rizzo being sidelined for approximately four to six weeks, possibly longer.
Why Filling First Base Is Important
The Yankees veteran first-baseman has been struggling with the bat this season. He’s batting .223 with 28 strikeouts and 19 walks. He has a .289 on-base percentage. He’s recorded three hits in 14 at-bats in his last five games. Rizzo has not been himself and seems fairly frustrated at the dish.
New York replaced Rizzo’s roster spot with that of prospect Ben Rice. Having such a player promoted after proving himself in the minors is refreshing. The reality is that his call-up does not fill the need at first concerning the pennant chase. The Yankees need an experienced infielder with a reputable bat to spark the offense on the right side of the field.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
After monkeying around with the media and advising the world he didn’t ever want to play for the Yankees, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. may have finally come to his senses. The song Vladdy sang in the past is now being reversed. The Toronto first baseman sees the direction his team is headed and understands that he may be part of a sale.
The baseball world understands that the Blue Jays are day by day away from being a garage sale. The team with one of the most electric-potential lineups this year cannot buy bats to save themselves. Although Vladdy is highly dependent, he is not the main cause of this offensive tank.
Toronto’s first baseman would fit in perfectly with the Yankees lineup. His mediocre contribution this year will be masked perfectly with a chart of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto in the spotlight. He does bring the ability to put a bat on the ball and won’t face the pressure of carrying a team’s offense.
Vladdy is hitting .288 this year with 10 home runs, 40 RBIs, and a .368 on-base percentage. His name is popular to date as a fill-in at first base.
Pete Alonso
The next option is fairly local, a decent train ride away to Queens. The Mets will also look to cut their losses short if their status disseminates in the next few weeks. Although Pete Alonso would be the guy to re-sign and build around, the Mets may not see it that way.
The Mets are 13 games behind first place in their division and only 1.5 games out of the third wild-card spot. Will the team hang onto their top-bat? By virtue of competition, Alonso would be a guy to retain during a push for a foot-in playoff spot.
On the other side of that, the Mets don’t want to lose a possible return on such a player. Given the fact that they are looking at a roster rebuild, the prospective returns are considerably crucial. This type of player would be an exponential addition to the Yankees lineup.
Alonso is a primary first baseman with the option to be a designated hitter at times. He brings three to four spots in the lineup vibes to a lineup that already has multiple sticks of that nature. That would be a great problem to have.
Alonso would fill the need at first base and compliment the rest of the team. He isn’t as hot as he could be, but the pressure would be off just like a Gurrero Jr situation. Alonso is hitting .240 with 71 hits, 43 RBIs, 42 runs, 16 home runs, and a .322 on-base percentage.
He is known to be a clutch-up guy and is made for big scenarios. His bat is trusted, and his defense is above satisfactory.
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