The New York Yankees made their first important transfer of the offseason Monday and named James Rowson their new hitting trainer. Rowson had up to now labored in New York’s farm device and is stated to be shut with Aaron Judge. The Yankees nonetheless will have to rent a bench trainer to change Carlos Mendoza, who used to be formally named New York Mets supervisor on Monday.
Hiring a brand new hitting trainer undoubtedly is not the large transfer Yankees fanatics crave, despite the fact that it used to be a vital step this offseason. Now the Yankees will have to reinforce the roster and provides Rowson extra to paintings with. That contains holding Giancarlo Stanton at the box, one thing GM Brian Cashman admitted is not all that most likely at this level in Stanton’s occupation.
Here’s what Cashman stated about Stanton on the GM Meetings in Scottsdale closing week (per the New York Daily News):
“We’ve gotta get Stanton up and running again,” Cashman stated in Arizona. “He’s injury-prone. We all have lived and known that, but he’s never not hit when he’s playing, and this year is the first time that that’s happened.”
… Â
“We try to limit the time he’s down,” Cashman stated. “But I’m not gonna tell you he’s gonna play every game next year because he’s not. He’s going to wind up getting hurt again more likely than not because it seems to be part of his game. But I know that when he’s right and healthy – other than this past year – the guy’s a great hitter and has been for a long time.”
“He’s going to wind up getting hurt again more likely than not because it seems to be part of his game?” Ouch. While undoubtedly true, the ones are some lovely harsh phrases from the GM a few core member of the staff. For what it is price, former Yankees (and Florida Marlins) teammate Cameron Maybin just lately stated he isn’t positive Stanton desires to end his occupation in pinstripes.
Stanton has performed best 391 of 708 imaginable common season video games since 2019, or 55%. He had the worst season of his occupation in 2023, slashing .191/.275/.420 with 24 house runs in 101 video games. That comes after what used to be up to now the worst season of his occupation in 2022. Stanton, 34, hit .211/.297/.462 with 31 house runs in 110 video games a yr in the past.
The Yankees completed twenty fifth in runs and twenty fourth in OPS in 2023, and whilst Stanton’s accidents and underperformance contributed to that, Cashman didn’t construct good enough depth to fill in. A staff with a payroll coming near $300 million gave over 900 plate appearances to Jake Bauers, Willie Calhoun, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Billy McKinney, who mixed for a .662 OPS.
It’s true Stanton’s accidents have turn into apparently inevitable and that he didn’t carry out in 2023. That higher factor is Cashman’s roster development and no longer having appropriate depth gamers to step in. New York’s unmarried greatest factor at this time is such a lot of in their most sensible younger place gamers have arise and no longer carried out, which has contributed to their depth woes.