MLB Rumors: Where Yankees Stand In Pursuit Of Red Sox World Series Champ

The New York Yankees need a replacement for Giancarlo Stanton.

Stanton told reporters Saturday that the tendon injuries he’s dealing with in both elbows are “severe,” and he’s set for a third round of platelet-rich plasma injections, according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. There’s no timetable yet for Stanton’s return.

So, how do the Yankees go about replacing Stanton? It looks like they are trying to find a player that fits Stanton’s current mold: an aging right-hander hitter in the latter stages of his career who doesn’t run well.

There’s a player on the free-agent market at the moment that fits that description, and it’s a 2018 Red Sox World Series champion, too. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported last week that the Yankees have had contact with J.D. Martinez, but now, a deal to get the 37-year-old slugger in pinstripes feels like a long shot.

“The Yankees did reach out on J.D. Martinez, but the sides don’t seem close, as the Yankees don’t want to spend any/much more,” Heyman wrote Thursday.

It’s hard to think that Martinez would cost the Yankees much. Martinez signed a one-year deal worth $12 million with the New York Mets last offseason.

Martinez is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career after being named an All-Star three years in a row. Martinez, who left the Red Sox following the 2022 season, batted .235 with 16 home runs and 69 RBIs with the Mets.

The Yankees certainly could do much worse than Martinez, who is still a professional right-handed hitter capable of producing — even if not at his prime levels. But the Yankees could look to Ben Rice to fill Stanton’s void in the lineup.