The Yankees are hunting for a right-handed bat before Opening Day arrives this week, with injuries depleting their offensive depth.
It’s an unusual situation for New York. While most teams struggle to find left-handed power, the Yankees have the opposite problem — they’ve got plenty of lefty bats but need right-handed slugging, especially with Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu headed to the injured list.
“I feel like I’d be happier if I can line up some choices for our manager,” general manager Brian Cashman told The New York Post. “I think some choices have emerged here in camp and then it comes down to if those choices in camp are better than anything that might exist outside that you could either trade for, that you’re comfortable enough giving what it would take to get or obviously measuring that versus the options that might get the bad word in another camp they’re not making it and all of a sudden we’re competing for those services.”
The timing couldn’t be worse. Neither Stanton nor LeMahieu has a return timetable, and Stanton might miss the entire season if he opts for surgery on his bilateral elbow injuries. That decision remains pending.
Cashman surprisingly mentioned non-roster invitee Pablo Reyes as an internal option. The 31-year-old journeyman has impressed both Cashman and manager Aaron Boone this spring, hitting .275 with one homer, four RBI and a .775 OPS — despite a career 78 OPS+ in the majors.
Oswald Peraza is another name to watch. The former top prospect is out of options, meaning the Yankees can’t send him to the minors without exposing him to waivers. If they find another solution, Peraza could be on his way out of the organization.
Don’t expect a blockbuster move, though. The Yankees’ self-imposed financial restrictions have them about $4 million over the $301 million luxury tax threshold already. But given their current lineup holes, they’ll need to scour the market for any possible right-handed upgrade they can find.
