The Yankees' Painfully Average Offense Has Been Painfully Predictable
At the conclusion of another disappointing playoff run for the Yankees in 2022, I made some suggestions on what they could do to avoid another October collapse in 2023. Most of them involved bolstering the lineup at positions that became automatic outs down the stretch last fall. Specifically, the plan called for improving third base and shortstop by saying goodbye to Josh Donaldson and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, signing an actual starting catcher, and acquiring a left-handed bat to handle left field. These weren't the most creative suggestions. The Yankee lineup had obvious holes and this was a simple, straightforward way to get them filled as soon as possible.
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No matter what configuration he uses, the Yankees' current roster construction ensures that Aaron Boone's lineup will have holes.
All-Pro Reels/Wikimedia Commons
The Yankee front office and ownership - creative geniuses that they are - took a much different approach to the problems staring them in the face during the offseason. They did absolutely nothing to improve the lineup at all. Well then, let's see how that's worked out so far in 2023. The Yankees rank seventh out of 15 AL teams in runs scored and have an almost perfectly average team OPS+ of 101, so they haven't embarrassed themselves. But Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo have mashed with the best of them this year, so where are the holes in the lineup bringing it down to league average? If you read the previous paragraph, the answer shouldn't be surprising.
If only the Yankees could have seen the offensive struggles at catcher, third base and corner outfield coming...
Cashman and company may have struck out looking when it came to improving the lineup over the winter, but they still have opportunities to get better this year. Let's take a look at each situation and see what the Yankees can do at this point if they want to take a mulligan on improving the roster.
Catcher
Last year Yankee catchers had the decency to at least time their struggles well. Jose Trevino came out of nowhere in the first half to give the Yankees a league average hitter at the bottom of the lineup before struggling mightily after the All-Star break. Kyle Higashioka flipped that script, posting an anemic .546 OPS to start the season, then an All-Star level 125 OPS+ in the second half.
This exquisite timing fooled the Yankees into thinking that by just rolling with Trevino and Higgy at catcher in 2023 they would have at least one decent hitter at the position throughout the season. Truth is, both of these guys are great at handling a pitching staff and making plays behind the plate, but their bats are simply not viable at the major league level. They are each making that point abundantly clear thus far as they're both sporting a sub-.600 OPS. The Yankees need an upgrade at catcher, and soon.
During the offseason I suggested that the Yankees prioritize free agent catcher Willson Contreras to be that upgrade. Given the bizarre journey that Contreras has been on with the Cardinals this year, maybe the team dodged a bullet by not shelling out top dollar for him. Still, they should utilize the trade market to find a better bat at backstop. Luckily, there's a veteran catcher playing on the South Side of Chicago that can help.
Yasmani Grandal is in the final year of his contract with the White Sox, who have been a major disappointment in 2023. Sitting in fourth place of an uncompetitive division, they will likely be looking to deal some players on expiring contracts by mid-season and Grandal is an ideal candidate. He's a proven commodity as a hitter with a career 114 OPS+ and five seasons with 20 or more home runs under his belt. As an added bonus, he's a switch-hitter who fares slightly better from the left side, which is always welcome at Yankee Stadium.
Grandal also has a solid track record as a pitch framer, even if he's not known as a great defensive catcher. Regardless, what he offers in added value with the bat would more than make up for what the Yankees would potentially lose in parting ways with Higashioka.
At 34 years old, Grandal would be a stopgap solution no matter where he goes. That means the Yankees wouldn't have to sell the farm to get him, which would be music to Brian Cashman's ears, and might even squeeze some cash out of the White Sox to pay his remaining salary, which would be music to Hal Steinbrenner's ears.
Of course, the more likely result here for the Yankees is seeing them rely on Ben Rortvedt as their saving grace rather than anyone outside the organization. Rortvedt was acquired as part of the Josh Donaldson trade to be the lefty-swinging catcher of the future for the Yankees before injuries derailed his 2022 season. Finally healthy, he had a successful Yankee debut in Cincinnati recently (2-for-4 with a double) as a replacement for the injured Trevino. If his success continues, he could replace Higgy for good once Trevino returns.
Third Base
Josh Donaldson was the poster boy for the Yankees' playoff struggles against Houston last October. His .077 average for the series led most observers to believe that the 37-year-old had very little left in the tank heading into 2023. His partner on the left side of the infield, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, played so poorly in the playoffs that he lost the starting shortstop job during the Houston series. Moving on from these two heading into this season seemed like the logical choice.
To the Yankees' credit, they did move on from IKF as the starting shortstop in favor of Anthony Volpe. To their discredit, they decided to still keep him around in a super utility role. More on that in a bit. When it came to Donaldson, the Yankee front office and management dug in their heels, telling anyone who would listen that he was due for a huge bounceback year and plugging him right back in as the starter at third base. Donaldson responded by going 2-for-16 with six strikeouts to open the season before being sidelined by injuries.
The solution for the Yankees' third base problem is a simple one. DJ Lemahieu has started the majority of games at third in Donaldson's absence and brought his respectable bat with him. They should just continue to roll with DJ in that spot everyday, and stop the experiment with IKF and Oswaldo Cabrera as part of the third base rotation. To seal the deal, they should also part ways with Donaldson rather than bringing him back in the fold when healthy, despite the $24 million or so it would cost to do that. We all know this would never happen under the current Yankee regime, as evidenced by the fact that Donaldson is now on a rehab stint, but it would be the right move to improve the roster.
Now on to the IKF issue. With his services no longer needed at shortstop, the Yankees decided during spring training that he could help out at all three outfield spots in addition to spending some time at third base. A true team player, he's swallowed his pride, willingly taking on the task, and proven to have a viable glove in the outfield. The problem is, he still has to take his turn at bat when he plays there. IKF has always been a glove-first player, but his offensive production is reaching new lows in 2023 despite his recent power surge (three home runs in his last six games). His batting average sits at .211, his OBP well below .300, and his OPS+ of 74 would represent the lowest in any full season of his career. The Yankees could use a little more super in their super utility player, and there's an option that should be available via trade.
Jurickson Profar has major league experience at every position outside of pitcher and catcher. While he's not the defensive whiz that IKF can be, he's every bit as good as a baserunner and worlds better as a hitter, with the additional flexibility of being a switch-hitter. Profar settled for a one-year deal at a very reasonable salary with Colorado before the season started. The Rockies are currently sitting at the bottom of the NL West and that's not likely to change anytime soon. All it should take from the Yankees is a mid-level prospect or two to secure a significant upgrade to their bench for the stretch run.
Corner Outfield
The most glaring hole in the Yankee lineup heading into 2023 was left field because the front office was once again poised to not use Giancarlo Stanton in the outfield. That left the only in-house options as Aaron Hicks, who hasn't played well in three years, and Oswaldo Cabrera, a natural infielder with very little major league experience. If the Yankees were going to spend some money in free agency, a left-handed bat for left field seemed like the right place to do it. Instead, they signed pitcher Carlos Rodon, who has yet to pitch in 2023.
As expected, the left field situation has not gone well in the Bronx. Making matters worse, starting center fielder Harrison Bader missed the first month of the season. This forced Aaron Judge into center and created an opening in right field for which the Yankees had no real backup plan. Add it all up and the team relied heavily on the combination of Hicks, Cabrera and Franchy Cordero - signed just before Opening Day - at the corner outfield spots to start the year. To date, the OPS+ values for the trio are 46 for Hicks, 56 for Cabrera, and 54 for Cordero, which means they've each been about half as good as an average major leaguer.
A series of recent events has at least partially solved the Yankees' problem of having two black holes in the lineup each night. Bader has returned to the active roster, Cordero was sent to Triple-A, Hicks was DFA'd, and Jake Bauers was called up to the big leagues. With Bader back in center, Judge is back in right, so that's half the battle. However, left field is now being split between Cabrera, IKF, and Bauers - a journeyman with a career OPS+ of 78. In an ideal situation, none of those three should be on the active roster, at least not now. Bauers should serve as emergency depth only, and IKF should be DFA'd sooner than later. As for Cabrera, a trip back to Scranton would do him well to re-discover the form that quickly made him a fan favorite in the Bronx last September. So who does that leave to play left field?
The lefty bat that the Yankees could desperately use right now resides in San Francisco. Joc Pederson is currently playing on a one-year deal for the Giants who seem to be stuck in neutral and firmly behind the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in the NL West race. Pederson is posting a 130 OPS+ in 2023 and has the type of power from the left side that should make Yankee fans salivate. As an expiring contract, the Giants may look to move him, and the fact that he's currently on the injured list means that the Yankees could get him for a modest prospect package if they act soon.
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Pederson - a former top prospect of the Dodgers - has been the Giants regular DH this season, but has significant experience at all three outfield spots. In 2022 he was the Giants' starting left fielder, although he's done his best glovework in right. Good thing the Yankees have a captain who's willing to move for the good of the team if that's the direction they decide to go in.
With Giancarlo Stanton due back from injury soon, if the Yankees find a way to get Pederson, the lineup would boast four serious home run threats everyday, two from each side of the plate. That might just get the Yankee offense back to the elite level it should be at in 2023. Do The Right Thing, Cashman.
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