New York Yankees starting first baseman, Anthony Rizzo, has been placed on the Major League Baseball Injured list with a fractured arm.
The left-handed hitting Rizzo, 34, is likely to miss over a month.
Rizzo had just begun to flash some life in his bat after enduring a season-long hitting slump.
The Yankees have selected the contract of catcher/first baseman Ben Rice from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to fill Rizzo’s roster spot.
The team and scouts are bullish on Ben Rice. Time will tell, but the Yankees may just stick with him, and not try to make a trade.
A left-handed hitter, Rice, 25, had played just 11 Triple-A games before being promoted to the parent Yankees. He was hitting .333/.440/.619/.1.059 with three doubles, and three home runs in 50 plate appearances. He had struck out 10 times.
In 218 plate appearances, Rice hit nine doubles and 12 home runs at Double-A Somerset in the Eastern League before being promoted to Triple-A.
The Yankees dodged a bullet when Superstar Aaron Judge was hit in the hand with a pitch June 18. Thankfully, there was no fracture, and Judge and the Yankees can breathe a sigh of relief.
Trade Possibilities:
The injury to Rizzo, who is playing on a one-year contract worth $17 million, could pave the way for a Yankees trade.
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The Yankees have a 2025 $17 million club option for Rizzo, but it seems unlikely they will exercise that option.
According to sportrac.com, the Yankees total estimated payroll for 2024 is $313,175,044.
The Yankees have already surpassed the top MLB Luxury Tax threshold of $297 million.
And of course, a contract extension for All Star Juan Soto is probably on the Yankees radar.
There are at least four attractive first basem*n who are eligible for free agency at the end of this season.
Each of the four potential trade targets would be more than adequate, and in some cases, provide a huge upgrade for the first base position.
The four potential free agent first basem*n include:
Pete Alonso-1B-New York Mets-Age 29, 6-3, 245 pounds, Bats right.
Alonso’s current salary is $20.5 million, and the Mets may have designs on extending Alonso with a long-term contract.
Trading for Alonso would be a major coup for the Yankees in the same playing environment with the rival Mets.
Paul Goldschmidt-IB-St. Louis Cardinals-Age 36, 6-3, 225 pounds, Bats right.
Goldschmidt’s current salary is $26 million. He can still hit, and he would be a major force in the Yankees lineup that already features Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, and Giancarlo Stanton.
Goldschmidt would be changing leagues, which could be an advantage for the American League pitchers Goldschmidt has not regularly faced.
Christian Walker-IB-Arizona Diamondbacks-Age 33-6-0, 208 pounds, Bats right.
Walker’s salary is a very tempting $10.9 million, making him an attractive trade target.
Another right-handed hitter, Walker can be very streaky, but he has been known to put his team on his back, and carry them for several games.
It is likely the Diamondbacks view Walker as a “long-term” hold for them, and a contract extension from Arizona seems probable, making a trade difficult. But not impossible.
Josh Bell-1B-Miami Marlins-Age 31-6-4, 261 pounds, Bats Both.
The switch-hitting Bell is currently making $16.5 million, which may be too steep for his production level.
Inconsistent at the plate, Bell would, however, bring a switch-hitting bat to the Yankees lineup.
Bell may be fairly easy to pry away from a Marlins team that may be looking to shed his contract. The Marlins may even pay some of the remaining contract value.
There are probably additional first basem*n available in trade throughout the MLB landscape.
However, the four players noted above are attractive because the Yankees will only be responsible for the remainder of the player’s 2024 salary.
Extending the current contract would be a decision for a later time.
Of the four, it is clear that Alonso carries the most impactful bat.
Goldschmidt, Walker, and Bell are all capable of changing a game with one swing.
To this scout, however, Alonso has the potential to do the most damage over the course of the remaining 2024 season, and into the postseason.
Now the Yankees have to decide if they are happy with their current situation at first base.
With Anthony Rizzo out for a while, the team may look to bolster the first base position while the opportunitie present themselves.
