THE ELITE OUTFIELDER THE YANKEES NEED TO GET NOW!

I like to dream big. That being said...I am dreaming REALLY big right now. I say go big or go home, and if the Yankees traded for my pick of a new outfielder, they would make a BIG upgrade that could possibly bring home our next championship.

To say I am over Aaron Hicks is the understatement of the century. He is an epic waste of money and a failure. We also can't forget Jacoby Ellsbury, that's a nightmare I won't soon forget. Brian Cashman has pulled the trigger on some questionable outfielders so the way I see it.... I can't do much worse.

Cashman needs to pick up the phone and give Mike Hazan in Arizona a call. Other teams are doing it, especially after Hazan said he would entertain the idea of moving some of his outfielders at the winter meetings. Just start a conversation, it can't hurt. They have depth in the outfield, and they also have a guy perfect for us.

The Diamondbacks have a few intriguing names, but I'm most interested in Daulton Varsho. He's 26, a lefty, has some nice pop, can steal and he's an amazing defender. His batting average may not be impressive, but the 27 home runs and 16 steals and 74 RBI's would be a nice addition to our lineup. The Yankees can work on his batting average and on base percentage, but he has a natural talent, and his glove is golden.

I mean Golden quite literally. He has already proven to be an elite defender. I've never been a huge believer in WAR but even those stats don't lie. He has the highest Outs Above Average among ALL outfielders in baseball and was second in Defensive Runs Saved. He's a lot of fun to watch in the outfield, he makes plays that make your jaw drop.

And jaw dropping is what the Yankees could be with an outfield of Harrison Bader, Varsho and Aaron Judge. That would be ELITE in baseball, and it is fun to think about. It would also be costly for the Yankees. Out of all of the Diamondbacks outfielders, Varsho has the most experience. He played in 151 games last season AND can even play catcher in a pitch. He actually caught a no-hitter for the Dbacks back in 2021....I kick myself because my family got to watch the game in person while I sat at home. The Dbacks are going to want a lot for him.... but it's worth a conversation. Varsho has four years of club control left and he's going to be arbitration eligible next winter so he's about to become very expensive and the Dbacks have plenty of depth so that could be motivation to move him.

I'm not gonna lie...I know the Yankees are concentrating on more pitching right now, but it is hard not to get excited about Varsho and what our outfield COULD look like. The Astros are also rumored to be interested in Varsho also....and I hate that idea. If he's gonna be dealt, PLEASE let him come our way. Varsho could be a game changer; in fact I'd bet on it.

 

--Jeana Bellezza-Ochoa

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @nyprincessj