NEW YORK — The Yankees have a problem. Their general manager said it out loud at the Winter Meetings.
The lineup is dangerously tilted toward one side of the plate. Jazz Chisholm swings from the left. So does Austin Wells. And Ben Rice. And Ryan McMahon. And Trent Grisham.
That leaves the Yankees with one solution to balance their order. A 36-year-old slugger who has missed half of the team’s games since 2019. A former MVP who started the 2025 season on the injured list. A power hitter who might be nursing his elbow problems for the rest of his career.
Giancarlo Stanton is the answer. Whether he can stay on the field is the question.
“I definitely want to give Aaron Boone some legitimate choices so he can match up when we’re facing a left-handed starter because, obviously, we’re so left-handed,” Cashman said. “It’s a vulnerability right now, and there’s not a lot of right-handed bats in the game that are accessible.”
The general manager admitted it could take time to find answers.
“That’s why you have to have some tough conversations and some tough considerations along the way to see if you can balance out,” Cashman added. “But it might take longer.”
As things stand, the Yankees project to start five left-handed hitters on Opening Day. Chisholm at second base. Wells behind the plate. Rice at first. McMahon at third. Grisham in center field. If the team re-signs Cody Bellinger, that number grows to six.
The right-handed depth chart is thin
Aaron Judge is the only elite right-handed bat on the roster. Jose Caballero will fill in at shortstop while Anthony Volpe recovers from injury. Amed Rosario recently re-signed and offers versatility at multiple positions.
Beyond those names, Stanton is the only feared right-handed hitter available. The Yankees need him in the lineup every night. History suggests that is asking too much.
Last season, Paul Goldschmidt provided right-handed balance with a .981 OPS against left-handed pitching. But the veteran free agent became less effective as the year wore on. He is gone now.
That leaves Judge and Stanton as the only power threats from the right side. Chisholm and the other left-handed hitters will dominate the lineup card. But left-handed pitchers present a problem without right-handed alternatives.
Stanton’s injury history haunts the franchise
The numbers tell a painful story. Since 2019, Stanton has played in 582 regular season games. The Yankees have played 1,032. He has been on the field for barely more than half of them.
Then came the elbows. Stanton dealt with epicondylitis in both arms during the 2024 playoffs. He received three rounds of platelet-rich plasma injections over the winter. It was not enough.
The slugger missed spring training in 2025. He opened the season on the injured list. He did not make his debut until June 16. The Yankees had already played 70 games without him.
Stanton expects the elbow issues to linger for the rest of his career. His upper-body-driven swing puts constant stress on those joints.
When healthy, the production remains elite
Stanton reminded everyone what he can do once he returned. He smashed 24 home runs in just 77 games. He drove in 66 runs. He posted a .273 average and a .944 OPS.
On August 26 against the Nationals, Stanton put together his best game of the season. He homered. He drove in five runs. His batting average peaked at .313.
His bat speed remains unmatched. Stanton led all of Major League Baseball with an average bat speed of 80.6 mph. Oneil Cruz ranked second at 78.8 mph. Judge placed 12th at 77.0 mph. Nobody swings the bat faster than the Yankees designated hitter.
On September 20, Stanton blasted a three-run homer against the Orioles to reach 450 career home runs. He sits just 47 away from the 500-homer milestone.
Over the past two seasons combined, Stanton has 51 homers and an .838 OPS in 191 games. That does not include the seven homers and 1.048 OPS he produced in the 2024 playoffs, when he earned ALCS MVP honors.
Boone offers cautious optimism for 2026
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Aaron Boone addressed Stanton’s health at the Winter Meetings. The manager sounded hopeful but stopped short of making promises.
“He went into the winter in a pretty good spot. A little bit beat up like everyone, but not rehabbing something, so to speak, which is good,” Boone said. “Obviously, he’s been through a lot physically with his body and the different things that he’s had to deal with.”
"He's just as mentally tough of a guy as I've seen."
Boone believes Stanton’s experience managing his body could help him stay on the field.
“I think that experience has served him well as far as just knowing what to do and how to do it,” the manager said. “Hopefully, that means him being out there for the bulk of the season and not having stints where he’s down, but we’ll see.”
Stanton did not require surgery after the 2025 season. His elbows will continue receiving treatment. The hope is that he can participate in spring training, something he could not do last year.
The DH spot creates roster complications
Stanton has become a full-time designated hitter. His lower-body injury history makes outfield work too risky on a regular basis.
That creates problems. When Stanton is in the lineup, the DH spot is locked. Judge cannot rotate there for rest days. Rice cannot slide over when Boone wants to give him a break from first base.
Last season, Rice emerged as one of the team’s best hitters. But with Stanton and Goldschmidt occupying first base and DH, Rice often sat on the bench. A healthy Stanton limits Boone’s flexibility.
The alternative is worse. An injured Stanton leaves the Yankees without their only feared right-handed bat behind Judge. Chisholm and the other left-handed hitters would face tough matchups against southpaw starters with no platoon options.
Stanton is signed through 2027 with a team option for 2028. He will earn $29 million in 2026, with the Marlins still paying $10 million of his salary from the original trade. The Yankees are committed to him whether he plays 77 games or 150.
The entire offense depends on a fragile superstar staying upright. For a team with championship aspirations, that is a gamble they have no choice but to take.
