Giancarlo Stanton (34-New York Yankees), the “glass half full” who used to have nothing to worry about as long as he wasn’t sick. Now he’s not even healthy. Mired in a 1-percent batting average, he has become a liability, a disaster for the Yankees. The $32 million-a-year, 402-homer hitter is a liability.
Stanton batted fourth in the lineup against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 20, but was silent in four at-bats. Two strikeouts and a walk were his worst at-bats, as the Yankees lost 1-6.
In the first inning, with runners on first and second, Yusei Kikuchi struck out on three pitches from Toronto starter Yusei Varlamov. After leading off the fourth inning, he struck out on Kikuchi’s four-pitch low and away curveball.
With runners on first and second in the sixth, he pulled a five-pitch slider from Toronto reliever Yimi Garcia and grounded to shortstop for a 6-4-3 double play. It was a deep grounder, three yards, and there was plenty of room at first base. He sprinted, but Stanton was too slow. The Yankees home fans erupted in boos.
Stanton saved the day in the final inning. In the bottom of the ninth, he came through with a bases-loaded single. He swung at Nate Pearson’s three-pitch fastball low and outside, and there was a big difference between the ball and the bat. He swung wildly and ended up pulling a four-pitch low slider and grounding it to third base, ending the game with a 5-4-3 double play.
Through 96 games this season, Stanton is 1-for-9 (150-for-352) with 24 home runs, 58 RBI, 40 doubles, 114 walks, a .276 on-base percentage, a .426 slugging percentage and a .702 OPS. Lowest batting average among 225 hitters with 350 or more plate appearances. His 1-for-1 batting average is a career first, and his OPS is a career low.
After going on the disabled list in mid-April with a sore left hamstring, Stanton returned in early June and hasn’t missed a beat in four months, but his numbers continue to slide. He still has the power to hit over 20 home runs, but his accuracy is poor and his production is down. He can also play outfield defense, but his range is too narrow because he can’t sprint as well as he used to due to a hamstring injury. Doesn’t help his offense.
New York outlet NJ.com argued after the game that the Yankees should get rid of Stanton, a high-priced player, under the headline “How the Yankees should dump Stanton, an injury-prone, 1-for-19 hitter who plays like a grandmother. The outlet concluded, “Stanton, who has 400 career homers, has become a liability for the Yankees to deal with in the offseason. For the money he’s being paid, he shouldn’t be batting below .200 in 100 or so games. He’s unbelievably slow on the run. In his last 10 games, he’s 2-for-35 with 16 strikeouts. It’s pathetic,” he said.
‘Stanton is becoming a right-handed version of Joey Gallo (Minnesota Twins). But Gallo can catch fly balls in the outfield, and he’s not that slow.” “Stanton will be 34 in November. If the Yankees really want to win, they need to end their relationship with Stanton, no matter the cost. They need to give Aaron Judge the designated hitter spot from time to time. They should replace him with a left-handed bat who plays better defense and doesn’t run like a turtle. If that’s what it takes to get rid of Stanton, we need to do it. It’s time.
Media outlets have suggested that the team should demote Stanton to the bench to clear his no-trade clause and send him to a team like the Los Angeles Angels, but it’s doubtful that’s realistic. Stanton, who is making $32 million this year, has four years and $118 million remaining on his contract: $32 million in each of 2024 and 2025, $29 million in 2026 and $25 million in 2027. While $10 million in each of 2026 and 2027 will be matched by his former team, the Miami Marlins, the Yankees will have to pay nearly $100 million.카지노사이트
Fall baseball is far from over for the Yankees, who fell to fourth place in the American League East this year (76 wins), and the futures of general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone are unclear after the season. A rebuild is expected, but Stanton is unlikely to be one of the targets. His remaining contract and salary make it difficult to move him. His decline is so pronounced that it’s almost impossible to find a team willing to trade him. It would be catastrophic for the Yankees if they don’t revitalize.