Last season Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner and Didi Gregorius took the majority of the Yankees' lefty plate appearances and things next season could look very different. The Yankees are likely to re-sign Gardner, they are already talking about another deal. But Hicks and Didi are much more complicated scenarios. Since Hicks needed Tommy John surgery he will likely miss a few months of the season, and Didi did not get a qualifying offer from the Yankees so he may not be back at all.
So the Yankees have a lack of left handed hitters and Didi is available. The Yankees could bring him back, maybe. The Yankees don't need him since they could just play Gleyber Torres at shortstop but the Yankees could look to bring him back for that left handed bat. There isn't a big market out there for Didi so the Yankees could get him back at a more affordable price. Looking ahead, the Reds and the Brewers are the teams in most need of a shortstop but they don't have a lot of payroll to spend and they also have other options available in their own farm systems and other free agents out there that won't cost as much as Didi.
Could Didi's left handed bat bring him back home to the Yankees after all? Left handed bats are valuable. The question is, will the Yankees value his left handed bat more than any other team? Only time will tell.
--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @NYPrincessj
I would love to see Didi back , say 2 years at 25 million with an option of 3rd year based on incentives .
ReplyDeleteGardner cpmes back at 5 million plus incentives games played , homeruns , stolen bases (yes stolen bases we have a lot of all or nothing base to base hitters)these incentives can add up to say another 5 million.
As much as I like Bird Yankees should maybe package a deal with him and Wade and Cessa for someone.
Ford and Voit platoon at 1B.
We missed out on a LH bat in Harper last year ( though I dont like him)it would had meant trading Stanton if he approved it because he has a no trade contract.
Maybe a trade for Rizzo with the Cubs , sending Voit , Bird , German , Cessa and Estrada.( Doubt if Cubs would do it even if this did clear some payroll and give them a starting first baseman)