If Anthony Rizzo Leaves in the Juan Soto Trade, Can the Yankees Resurrect a Struggling $325M Outfielder at First Base?

It has been heard through the grapevine that the New York Yankees are trading their first baseman, Anthony Rizzo. The news hasn’t been confirmed by the clubhouse yet; but fans and analysts have already started speculating about a possible replacement for their Platinum Glove Awardee 1B. They may replace that empty spot on the field with one of their outfielders, whom they signed for a good $325 million back in 2014. Will he be strong enough to feel Rizzo’s gloves now?

Anthony Rizzo has been acting as the Yankees’ first baseman for the last two seasons. He was traded to the Bronx Bombers for cash considerations and outfielder Kevin Alcántara and right-handed pitcher Alexander Vizcaíno in July 2021. Now, the Pinstripes are in probable talks about trading him for San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto. Does it sound like a smart deal?

Stanton vs. Rizzo: A fair game or a fool’s play for the New York Yankees?

Giancarlo Stanton signed a $325 million deal for 13 years with the New York Yankees and still has four years left on his contract. His career boasts an impressive 1031 RBIs; however, he has been performing poorly with the Yankees for the last few seasons. He scored a 1.000 fielding percentage for 2023, and that seems quite credible as an outfielder. Now, if the Yankees do use him to replace Rizzo’s first-baseman post, whether the same or possibly a better form will be reflected in his position or not is something to worry about.

According to Baseballsavant’s Statcast metrics, Stanton has zero fielding run value for this season’s MLB playoffs and a borderline bad baserunning run value of 11. Compared to Rizzo’s FRV of 80 and BRV of 19, it seems impossible for Stanton to fill his shoes. However, there are a few factors that will affect Stanton’s form as a rookie first baseman.

Stanton is a highly injury-prone individual. The man started getting hurt in 2019 and hasn’t stopped ever since. 2017 NL MVP himself doesn’t like how many trips he has to make to the emergency room, citing it as “unacceptable”. He missed 223 out of 546 probable games in the last four seasons. It seems quite like a play of fate, honestly speaking.

The 5x All-Star hurt his biceps, arm, and knee in 2019. 2020 saw him suffer from hamstring injuries. Luckily, he got injured only once in 2021. Then again, the streak continued in season 2022—he got his calf, Achilles tendon, and foot injured with just a few months of field time in between. This season, he hurt his hamstring. For a player who terrorized the pitchers of the MLB once upon a time, Stanton’s form has been seeing a consistent downward curve like a modern-day Sisyphus.

To hit or not to hit?

According to The Athletic, had Stanton not had $98 million left on his contract with the New York Yankees, their stoic and statistical owner, Hal Steinbrenner, might have already designated him for assignment, as they did with Aaron Hicks in May this year. Stanton has -1 outs above average score for this season, with zero defensive runs saved. His 4/100 sprint speed doesn’t speak any differently for his form, either.

The Yankee stadium might have a comparatively smaller right field, but Stanton still wouldn’t fare well as a right fielder, and his injury-prone physique will definitely keep him from being the terrorizing designated hitter that he once was. The position of a first-baseman demands much fewer injuries than that of a DH. Not only that, Stanton has displayed better form while playing inside the field in the past. Playing as a first baseman will give him more room to work with.

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Shifting Stanton over to Rizzo’s position will also open up the now inconsistent designated hitter spot on the team. With the Yankees already amid rumors of hiring Juan Soto, it sounds like a feasible option. They’ll have both—a great DH who doesn’t have to take so many breaks in between games and a first baseman with a pretty great offensive form to play in place of Rizzo. That means, if they make the necessary changes in the lineup, trading Rizzo for Soto can actually work in the Yankees’ favor.

Can the possible Soto and Stanton pairing be a game-changer for the Yankees’ fate?

According to Statcast, Soto has a batting run value of 97 for this season, and terming that as GREAT would be selling it short; his average exit velocity runs at a high of 93.2%, accompanied by 55.3% of hard hits. Equipped with Soto’s exceptional .410 OBP and Stanton’s resilience when given the chance, the Yankees might have a chance of winning the league games next season, putting it mildly.

Read More: Future Lineup of 2024 New York Yankees (If All Goes According to Plan)

The Yankees last won a World Series pennant in 2009. Will the Stanton for Rizzo and Soto for Stanton substitutions work in their favor? Let us know your opinion about this possible lineup!

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