NEW YORK — The Tampa Bay Rays needed only three games to expose the New York Yankees’ biggest flaw. Rays pitchers held the lineup to five runs and 12 hits across the entire American League Division Series.
That number stung. During the regular season, the Yankees went 63-6 when they scored five or more runs in a game. Against Tampa Bay, they needed three games to reach five.
With Aaron Judge sidelined by a calf strain, the Yankees had little right-handed thunder left. Giancarlo Stanton barely played after late April. Paul Goldschmidt, 39, is a free agent. Trent Grisham, who struck out to end the season, is leaving. Ben Rice, a left-handed hitter, supplied most of the Yankees’ October power.
The Yankees’ front office has been hunting right-handed bats since at least July. Before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, New York was linked to Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young.
That interest has resurfaced. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported last week that the Yankees had shown interest in Young before, including last January, though no deal came together.
Young is 27, plays elite defense in center field and is controllable by the Yankees through 2029. On paper, he solves the hole Grisham leaves in center field.
Young has stolen 79 bases in 104 attempts over four seasons and is a two-time Gold Glove finalist. He becomes eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, so his salary would stay modest for the Yankees.
The bat is another story. Over 1,477 career plate appearances, Young has hit .248 with 15 home runs and an 82 wRC+. Even his 2026 season, the best of his career, finished below league average.
He does not solve the offense. And the bat the Yankees actually need may require no trade at all.
A free agent who hits where Young cannot
That bat belongs to Randy Arozarena. The Seattle Mariners outfielder hits free agency after the World Series, and Seattle is not expected to keep him.
Arozarena, who turns 32 in February, produced the best season of his career in 2026. He hit .281 with a .381 on-base percentage and a .484 slugging percentage over 154 games. He added 26 homers, 26 steals and an American League-leading 113 runs.
His 151 wRC+ and 5.5 fWAR both ranked as career highs, according to FanGraphs. He has now posted six straight 20-homer, 20-steal seasons.
Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times named the Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies as the top expected suitors. The Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs are also watching the market.
Divish added that Arozarena prefers an East Coast contender. Only one club on that list plays in the Bronx and won 93 games.
What Seattle is signaling
The Mariners are expected to make Arozarena the $23.15 million qualifying offer. He is expected to turn it down, which would send Seattle a draft pick after the first round.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post summed up Seattle’s position bluntly as the offseason began.
“The Seattle Mariners almost certainly aren’t going to retain Randy Arozarena as a free agent,” Heyman wrote.
MLB insiders have floated a three-year deal worth $18 million to $22 million per season. Other reporting has him seeking a total in the $100 million to $125 million range.
The numbers side by side
The 2026 comparison is not close at the plate. Young hit .252 with a .318 on-base percentage, a .390 slugging percentage and 10 homers in 140 games. His wRC+ was 95, below league average.
Arozarena got on base 63 points more often, slugged 94 points higher and hit 16 more homers. His wRC+ was 56 points higher.
Young wins on defense. FanGraphs credited him with plus-6.8 defensive runs, while Arozarena graded at minus-11.7. Young’s 49 career Outs Above Average rank second among center fielders since 2023, behind Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Even after the defensive penalty, Arozarena’s 5.5 fWAR was more than double Young’s 2.3. Per plate appearance, the gap holds. Arozarena produced about 0.82 fWAR per 100 plate appearances. Young produced about 0.49.
As a part-time designated hitter, his glove would matter less.
Arozarena vs. Young: 2026 comparison
| 2026 stat | Randy Arozarena (SEA) | Jacob Young (WSH) | Edge |
| Age / bats | 31 (32 in Feb.) / R | 27 / R | Young (age) |
| Primary position | LF | CF | Young (position) |
| Games / PA | 154 / 670 | 140 / 471 | Arozarena |
| AVG / OBP / SLG | .281 / .381 / .484 | .252 / .318 / .390 | Arozarena |
| Home runs | 26 | 10 | Arozarena |
| Runs / RBI | 113 (AL lead) / 79 | 57 / 50 | Arozarena |
| Stolen bases | 26 | 18 | Arozarena |
| BB% / K% | 10.1% / 21.6% | 7.0% / 16.6% | Split |
| wRC+ | 151 | 95 | Arozarena |
| Defense (FanGraphs Def) | -11.7 | +6.8 | Young |
| Baserunning (BsR) | 2.2 | 3.5 | Young |
| fWAR | 5.5 | 2.3 | Arozarena |
| fWAR per 100 PA | 0.82 | 0.49 | Arozarena |
| Contract status | Free agent; $23.15M QO expected | Pre-arb; arb-eligible 2027, control through 2029 | Young (cost) |
| Acquisition cost | Multiyear deal + draft-pick compensation | Prospects in trade | Young (cost) |
Stats per FanGraphs through the 2026 regular season. fWAR per 100 PA is calculated from FanGraphs fWAR and plate appearances.
How Arozarena fits the Yankees’ lineup
The Yankees’ 2027 outfield is crowded but fragile. Cody Bellinger, a Gold Glove finalist, led MLB left fielders with 21 defensive runs saved. Spencer Jones struggled defensively in center. Judge turns 35 during next season and will need more days at DH.
Arozarena gives manager Aaron Boone a right-handed bat who can play left, spell Judge and slide into the DH spot. Stanton’s guaranteed money ends after 2027, which opens that lane further.
There is also an October resume. Arozarena set an MLB record with 10 home runs in the 2020 postseason with Tampa Bay, and he knows the AL East from his years with the Rays.
The tradeoffs are real. Arozarena would cost a long-term contract and draft-pick compensation, while Young would cost only prospects and a modest arbitration salary. Arozarena’s arm grades in the 32nd percentile, and he has not played right field since 2022.
Pros and cons: Arozarena vs. Young
| Pros | Cons | |
| Randy Arozarena (FA, LF) | • Career-best .281/.381/.484, 151 wRC+ and 5.5 fWAR in 2026 • 26 HR, 26 SB and an AL-leading 113 runs; six straight 20-20 seasons • Right-handed power bat the Yankees’ lineup lacked in October • Can play left field, spell Judge and fill DH as Stanton’s deal winds down • Costs no prospects; AL East experience and a record 10-HR 2020 postseason • Reportedly prefers an East Coast contender | • Poor defense: -11.7 FanGraphs Def, -2 DRS, -5 OAA in left field • Arm in the 32nd percentile; no right field since 2022 • Turns 32 in February, so a multiyear deal covers decline years • Expensive: $23.15M QO expected, reports from $18M-$22M AAV up to $100M-$125M total • Draft-pick compensation if he rejects the QO • Competition from the Phillies, Red Sox, Mets and Cubs |
| Jacob Young (WSH, CF) | • Elite center field defense: +6.8 FanGraphs Def, +49 career OAA (second to Pete Crow-Armstrong since 2023) • Two-time Gold Glove finalist who fills Grisham’s center field hole • Age 27 and controllable through 2029 • Cheap: arbitration-eligible for the first time in 2027 • Speed: 79 SB in 104 career attempts; 3.5 BsR in 2026 • Low 16.6% strikeout rate | • Below-average bat: .252/.318/.390 and 95 wRC+ even in his best season • Little power: 10 HR in 2026, 15 in 1,477 career PA • Career 82 wRC+ does not fix the Yankees’ right-handed power gap • Only 2.3 fWAR, less than half of Arozarena’s • Costs prospects in a trade • No sign Washington will make him available |
Stats per FanGraphs, MLB Trade Rumors and team-beat reporting through Oct. 19, 2026.
Where the Yankees’ search stands
Young remains under Nationals control, and there is no sign Washington has made him available. The Yankees have to put up an enticing package to force the Nationals’ hands.
Arozarena’s market opens five days after the World Series, when qualifying offer decisions are due. Seattle’s offer is expected, and so is his refusal.
For a lineup that managed five runs against Tampa Bay in October, the choice between Young’s glove and Arozarena’s bat is now one of the Yankees’ central winter questions.
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