A FAMILIAR FACE JUST BECAME A POTENTIAL STANTON REPLACEMENT

With Giancarlo Stanton set to start the season on the injured list, the Yankees are once again staring at a familiar problem—how to replace a big bat in the lineup. Naturally, the rumor mill has been working overtime, with names like J.D. Martinez emerging as possible short-term solutions. Jon Heyman reported that the Yankees have at least reached out to Martinez, which could be nothing more than due diligence—or a sign that they’re looking for a cheap, low-risk fix.

But here’s the thing: The Yankees don’t necessarily need to bring in an aging slugger when a younger, more versatile option is just sitting there—Alex Verdugo.

Verdugo remains unsigned, and the Yankees already know what they’re getting with him. He put up solid numbers in the Bronx last season, understands the market, and wouldn’t require an adjustment period. As I pointed out on BYB, in our article JD MARTINEZ CHATTER GETTING LOUDER, the Yankees have other internal options as well:

"If a short-term deal can be struck, Martinez could be an intriguing option. However, the Yankees also have in-house alternatives—one being a familiar face in Anthony Rizzo. Utilizing Rizzo in a designated hitter role would eliminate the need for him to play defense, and while he’s a lefty, the primary goal here is power at the plate, isn't it? Another potential option is Alex Verdugo, who remains unsigned but has a proven ability to hit. Unlike Martinez, these alternatives would provide a younger and possibly more versatile solution." 

 And, Newsweek running with it, making a case that actually makes all the sense in the world:

"Bringing back Verdugo to the Bronx would be a win-win for the Yankees. This is a team that never officially replaced Juan Soto and could benefit from a player who brings some spark to the lineup. It would also allow the organization to rotate him into left field if the Yankees decide to roll the dice with Domínguez."

That’s exactly it. The Yankees never truly replaced Soto’s presence, and while Verdugo isn’t Soto (no one is), he’s still a reliable bat with defensive flexibility. His original market value was estimated at $60 million over four years, but with Opening Day fast approaching, that kind of deal seems unlikely.

Instead, the Yankees could probably land Verdugo on a one-year, $9 million contract—a perfect low-risk, high-reward move. That's a Newsweek idea and I love it. It fills an immediate need while giving Verdugo the chance to bet on himself before hitting free agency again in 2026. And even if Stanton makes a swift return, there’s no harm in having a quality depth piece ready to go.

Every player has slumps, every player has down years. But Verdugo has been clear—he’s looking for a short-term deal and a shot to rebuild his value. Given his familiarity with the Yankees and his ability to contribute right away, this move just makes too much sense.

Now, the only question is: Will the Yankees pull the trigger, and will it come in the dead of night when no one's paying attention?

CAN THE YANKEES WIN WITHOUT AARON JUDGE?

Source: Robert Sabo for the NY Post

I love watching Aaron Judge play. #99 absolutely keeps the game exciting, both offensively and defensively. He brings passion and life into the game. And although he brings that important positivity from the dugout, this team needs him in the lineup. Without Judge, the Yankees score 3 or less runs per game, and are batting an abysmal .230 team average and a .298 on base-percentage. The question on everyone's mind including me is, "Can the Yankees win without Aaron Judge?"

"The Yankees are up 11 games and counting since Judge landed on the injured list after crashing into the right field wall tracking down J.D. Martinez’s fly ball at Dodger Stadium on June 3. Of those games, they own three wins — a 3-0 win over the White Sox, a 3-2 win over the Red Sox and a 7-6 win over the Mets," reported Forbes. Count last night's 3-1 victory against Seattle, the Yankees have only won four games since Judge's injury. 

And what happened in Boston this weekend is just unforgivable. Getting swept by our nemesis in Fenway Park has not happened since 1976. Now, recall, that was a wake up call for the Yankees, who then won back to back World Series in 1977 and 1978. Yet, here we are in one of the biggest World Series droughts in Yankee history without our biggest star.

"The problem of Judge’s absence is palpable, and felt throughout the organization, although it’s most evident in the clubhouse since those guys have to compensate for the irreplaceable. They miss him, probably even more than the fans," reported the New York Post. Well, that's debatable. 

If anything is going to make up for the Judge void, it has to be good pitching, which the Yankees have had in Gerrit Cole and their bullpen. We likely won't see Carlos Rodon nor Nestor Cortes before the All Star Break. Could the Avengers assemble in mid-July? God do we really need to wait until then for Judge and the arsenal?

“We’ve got to find different ways to win. We miss our captain. But at the same time we have to deal with the blow,” said Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who scored the final insurance run after he singled as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning against Boston. “We definitely miss him. But at the same time, we believe in ourselves,” reported The Post. 

Can the Yankees win without Aaron Judge? In the words of IKF, they have to figure it out. Anthony Rizzo woke up in the game last night. Perhaps the shock and awe has worn off and the Yankees are on the upswing. But without Superman, Metropolis will never be the same. Let's hope they can keep it together until the big guy returns. 

--Suzie Pinstripe

BYB Senior Managing Editor

Twitter: @suzieprof

THE MAGICAL WORLD OF AARON JUDGE

Aaron Judge is not just a slugger. He is the whole package. We all know this. But the national audience might not know how incredible of an outfielder Judge is. That's why the Fox Sports announcers called out his expertise in the Dodgers-Yankees game last night. We are so fortunate as Yankee fans to see this guy night after night and be a part of what I am calling the Magical World of Aaron Judge.

Judge gave the national audience and all of Dodger Stadium a show in the Yankee 6-3 win on Saturday. In the bottom of the 8th,  Aaron Judge made an incredible catch out in right field to rob JD Martinez of a game tying home run. He tracked it, and caught it while plowing through the fencing in the outfield. This after he cracked a solo home run earlier in the game. 

ESPN Tweeted simply "He is Superman." When this guy takes off and tracks the ball, you know he is going to catch it. He's amazing. In fact he dazzled fans in T-Mobile Park earlier this week saving Teoscar Hernández's fly ball from sailing over the fence. Judge stated later that this catch in Seattle might be the best one of his career. 

"This was the second time on the Yankees’ road trip where Judge homered and made a miraculous catch in the same game. Judge belted two home runs in the Yankees’ 10-4 blowout win over the Mariners on Tuesday," reported The New York Post.

This Yankee team is fun to watch. As much as the injuries and the quiet bats drive me crazy we have to remember we have one of the best players in baseball killing himself every night for this team. He brings passion, persistence and consistency to this team. And his magic is contagious to his teammates, media that cover the Yankees and we as fans. Let's hope he and his team can bring some magic into the rubber game tomorrow.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

HANGING OUT WITH BLEED BLUE TALKING OUTFIELDERS

Just finished up bantering with Steve Azul and the @BleedBlueShow crew as we chatted it up about the Yankees outfield and snuck in a few other elements of this year's team. Since I am still all fired up, I wanted to share with you all some of the talking points of this Monday night episode of The Dugout: Outfielders.

Source: NJ.com

We, of course, chatted about Aaron Hicks and his 7-year $70 million dollar contract.  Hey, the guy played well last year, with two in the part home runs totaling 27 home runs overall, a gun of an arm and 79 RBIs.  He should be batting .290 but last year over 137 games he batted .248.  We are hoping that this contract gives him the extra confidence he needs to top last year with an even better performance.  Let's hope.

Source: Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

We also bounced around the question of "Who's gunna be the JD Martinez of the team?"  Who's gunna be that guy, Mr. Clutch, Mr. Consistency.  Names like Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Miguel Andujar and even Luke Voit got thrown into the conversation of being that guy.  Hoping any one of them or all of them step into a Martinez-like role for the Yankees.

Another topic of conversation was top prospect Estevan Florial and his potential impact on this year's team.  Although most of the panelists thought he was a year or two out of the mix, I kind of went in the direction of Andujar and you never know.  If injuries arise, he could step in later in the season and give the team the lift he may need to edge out the Red Sox.  He spent a good portion of last season coming off some injuries including a broken wrist that kept him from playing for over two months.  He is turning heads in Tampa and he can run!

Source: USA Today

"Florial’s tremendous speed is a weapon that hasn’t been used enough in his first four seasons as a pro. Last season, he stole 16 bases, but swiped just 11 while being thrown out 10 times in 75 games with high-A Tampa with the others coming in nine rookie league rehab games," reported NJ.com.

Source: NJ.com

We talked Brett Gardner, Luke Voit, Greg Bird and Giancarlo Stanton too.  This post doesn't do the show justice, so why not listen to the podcast on BleedBlue.com. Looking forward to hanging out again with the panel.  Catch The Dugout on BleedBlue.com on Monday night's at 9:00 p.m. EST. Next week they discuss catchers.  Have a great Tuesday!

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof

WE DON'T PLAY SMALL BALL BUT WE BETTER

Source: Getty Images North America

On the way to the beach this morning, I had a conversation with a Yankee fan about Aaron Boone vs. Alex Cora and it went like this.  "Alex Cora will be manager of the year because, quite frankly, he can manage."  Boone doesn't play small ball and I don't know how much he truly knows about the ins and outs of the strategy of the game.

Source: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images North America

"Look," he acknowledged, "we have power," said Boone when faced with the question, "Can this team really thrive relying so heavily on home runs?" as reported by ESPN.  But that's not enough.  We have a number of missed opportunities without a plan, which includes situational hitting and the bunt.  We can't just rely on putting the ball in the seats when we need to consider all other possibilities.

Source: Greg Fiume/Getty Images North America

The Red Sox win because they not only have pitching, they have a manager that emphasizes situational hitting.  "We don't want to be known as the team that could just hit the most home runs," Aaron Hicks said. "We want to be the team that hit the most home runs and won the World Series."  Right now, however, much to Hicks' and many Yankee fans' chagrin, we have a manager that emphasizes the home run as the end all be all.

Source: Nick Wass - Pool/Getty Images North America

According to NBC Sports, "We can steal bases. We can manufacture runs. It’s a team that’s not dependent on winning on one way. I kind of remember when I was in Detroit it was like, we had to slug. That was what we had to do to score. Here, it’s different,” said Red Sox slugger JD Martinez.

Source: Al Bello/Getty Images North America

Meanwhile, back in the New York, we don't play small ball.  And guess what, besides picking up another starter, we better begin a new strategy that includes bunting, situational hitting, base stealing and yes home run hitting.  Baseball is back in the Bronx, folks, but right now, it doesn't look pretty.

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof