New York Yankees: Who’s on first for the Yanks? It’s up in the Air
By Ed Stein
Free Agents
It’s been a slow off-season for free agents. Pretty soon these unsigned players and their respective agents are going to want to make a deal. The Yankees are a marquis team and always a player for high-end talent. If some of the top players, who may have overestimated their worth in the marketplace, are ready to play in a dynamic lineup, it will happen.
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Right now there are still two huge names floating around MLB limbo. The first is arguably one of the top five hitters in the game, Bryce Harper. He’s only 26-years-old and has been an all-star six of his seven seasons in the big leagues. He’s both a former Rookie of the Year and MVP.
Last season he had the lowest batting average of his career, .249, but still managed to walk 130 times and drive in 100 runs. Harper was drafted as a catcher, moved to the outfield as a professional and with his athletic ability should be able to make the adjustment to first base.
The other big name free agent is Manny Machado. Also 26, he’s a four and a half tool player (not exactly a speedster) that’s been a four-time all-star and finished in top five in MVP voting twice. His career 162 game average is a .282 batting average with 31 home runs and 90 RBI. Not only that, he is a former gold glove winner at third base.
He didn’t win over many people when he said hustling down the line isn’t his “cup of tea” during last year’s playoffs. Still, his results speak for themselves. Like LeMahieu he could move over to first base, or play third and let Andujar go across the diamond.
One other player still available is 30-year-old Mike Moustakas. Like Machado, he’s a third baseman by trade, but last season started to make a transition to first. He has hit 22 or more homers in three of the last four seasons (he was injured in the other one, but was on pace for over 30). Last year he played for $5.5M, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take far less in the next few weeks.
It’s going to be a wild next few weeks in the first base race.