Losing SS Didi Gregorius to Tommy John surgery hurt in more ways than one. The Yankees were already light on left-handed power with only Gregorius, Brett Gardner and Aaron Hicks (switch) as regulars from the left side. As of late November, the Yankee lineup looks something like:
- Aaron Hicks (CF)
- Gleyber Torres (2B)
- Aaron Judge (RF)
- Giancarlo Stanton (CF)
- Miguel Andujar (DH)
- Gary Sanchez (C)
- Luke Voit / Greg Bird (1B)
- ____????___(SS)
- Brett Gardner (LF)
There are two clear problem areas with this lineup and the current free agent class does not provide a one-player fix.
- Someone needs to play shortstop or second base with Torres moving to short.
- The overly right-handed lineup is a real problem in today’s bullpen match up based game. A team simply cannot throw six or seven right-handed batters out there every day and expect to succeed.
The answers are available in free agency
- Manny Machado answers the first.
- Bryce Harper answers the second but which one results in the best lineup?
The problems with both lineups are evident: Signing Machado leaves the lineup ridiculously right-handed and inflexible, and with no open spots the problem can’t be addressed. Signing Harper moves Gardner to the bench and doesn’t alleviate the overly right-handed problem. However, signing Harper does allow the Yankees to go after a left-handed bat at SS.
Some free agent options the Yankees could consider include SS Jed Lowrie and SS Asdrubal Cabrera both of whom switch hit and are better from the left side. Lowrie, 34 and Cabrera, 33 would be short term deals and are exactly the kind of veteran stopgaps Yankee championship teams of the past 20 years have taken on.
For these reasons, I think Harper is the more likely Yankee target. I expect to see Harper wearing pinstripes and batting third between Judge and Stanton.
Common belief is that signing either Harper or Machado takes that team out of the running for the other. I also believe that’s the case, even for the Yankees. It may disgust the baseball world but would it really surprise anyone if they signed both? I don’t think it would.
They’re the Yankees after all. Signing the biggest free agents is in the team DNA and two 26-year old MVP caliber talents never become available at the same time. This is something George Steinbrenner would do over some hamburgers and beer. If they do it, his spirit– along with every Yankee fan – will be smiling.
What does the lineup look like with both Machado and Harper?
( S ) CF Aaron Hicks
( R ) RF Aaron Judge
( L ) LF Bryce Harper
( R ) DH Giancarlo Stanton
( R ) SS Manny Machado
( R ) 2b Gleyber Torres
( R ) 3b Miguel Andujar
( L ) 1b Greg Bird / ( R ) 1b Luke Voit
( R ) C Gary Sanchez
While it’s still heavily right handed, no lineup has ever had or will ever have more power than that. This lineup will give pitchers more nightmares than a late-night, home-alone in a dark creaky house viewing of The Haunting of Hill House. It puts the Yankees on the back page for the next decade and that’s why they should do it.
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