The New York Yankees don’t need any more first basemen or designated hitters on their roster.
They may have too many already.
Ben Rice, Luis Garcia Jr., Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Judge are all hitters who could spend time at DH in 2027.
That’s why Zachary D. Rymer‘s trade idea to acquire Rafael Devers from the San Francisco Giants makes little to no sense.
In Rymer’s deal, the Yankees send right-handers Luis Gil and Carlo Lagrange to the Giants in exchange for Devers, a three-time All-Star who hit 37 home runs last season.
“These are all fair questions, but to hell with them anyway. At the least, it feels like the end of the line for Stanton in New York.
“And if so, the fit makes more sense. Devers has always hit at Yankee Stadium as if he belongs there, with his 18 home runs in New York representing the most for any stadium that he’s never called home,” Rymer wrote.
In this scenario, Stanton would’ve probably already been traded or released by the Yankees, and Garcia would be forced to move to another middle infield spot.
Rice would play first base, and Judge would play right field despite injury concerns.
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Another reason why the Yankees might turn a cold shoulder to the idea of Devers? The long-term extension he signed with the Boston Red Sox.
San Francisco still owes the 30-year-old over $200 million through the 2033 season, when he will be 36 and almost certainly in the final stages of his career.
Devers is a talented hitter, but the Yankees don’t need any more DH types clogging up the lineup, even without Stanton on the roster.
