With the New York Yankees continuing to battle the injury bug, perhaps the team should consider Yasiel Puig as another outfield option.
Sure, he’s not exactly the type of player the New York Yankees like to keep in the clubhouse, but Yasiel Puig certainly has the bat and the glove to help the team to contend for a 28th title. Especially when you consider that Giancarlo Stanton can’t seem to stay healthy enough to complete an entire MLB season.
It seems that 2020 will pick up right where it left off for the Bronx Bombers, battling the injury bug. After setting a league record number of players on the injured list in 2019, the Yankees will start the season with a number of key players for one reason or another.
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- Aaron Hicks – Tommy John Surgery; out until after All-Star break
- James Paxton – Underwent microscopic lumbar discectomy; out until May
- Aaron Judge – Right shoulder soreness; expected to play Opening Day
- Luis Severino – Tommy John Surgery; out for the season
- Luis Cessa – Tommy John Surgery; out for the season
- Giancarlo Stanton – Grade 1 right calf strain; could miss Opening Day
With three outfielders set to potentially miss time, suddenly an aging Brett Gardner becomes an everyday player. What’s more, not re-signing fan-favorite Cameron Maybin hurts a bit more.
Luckily for the Yankees, there is a more-than-capable option on the market in Puig.
Offensively, he places somewhere between someone like Stanton and Maybin. Defensively, however, he instantly becomes the team’s best outfielder.
In fact, throughout his career, Yasiel Puig has saved 40 runs in the outfield. Conversely, Stanton has saved less than that (27) and Maybin significantly less (-22).
What’s more, the one-time All-Star and NL Rookie of the Year runner up tends to elevate his game some in the postseason, something fans of the New York Yankees would take to quite well.
The point is, the Yankees have an injury problem in their hands and it seems nothing’s going to stop these players from faltering at some point during the regular season. The only remedy, apparently, is depth.
Though the Yanks have lots of it, you can never have enough players to call upon when needed. Yasiel Puig would be a tremendous option.