4 Moves The Yankees Should Make To Stem Early Slump

 

Photo: Jim McIsaac

1. DFA Jay Bruce

When Luke Voit went down in late spring training, the Yankees had to find a quick replacement that could start on Opening Day. Enter Jay Bruce, whom Aaron Boone selected over previous backup Mike Ford. The team hoped that he would provide an early punch to the lineup, but in 12 game Bruce has done everything but that. His .118 batting average and dismal .231 OBP has exacerbated a problem that was ever present once Voit went on the IL.

 

2. Bench Aaron Hicks

Although he has great skill as an outfielder, Hicks' struggles at the plate in the early going are well noted. Between the strike outs and unproductive outs, he is certainly wearing the patience of Yankees fans very thin. They could decide to platoon Gardner and Tauchman instead or go even further and seek to trade Hicks away and get a spark with a young prospect. Either way keeping number 31 in the lineup right now is a no go.

 

3. Find another Starter

Thus far the experiment with the luxury tax friendly moves has nor yielded the best results. Other than Gerrit Cole the rotation has looked mediocre. German's spring numbers proved to be fool’s gold as he was jettisoned to the alternate site after just two starts. Kluber and Taillon cannot seem to find their footing after they both missed a year. Montgomery did have a good outing against Baltimore, but the Yankees are going to need more out of him if the others can't step up. It is obvious that the Yankees frugalness in the offseason is beginning to catch up with them. However, that ship can be righted if they make a move now to stabilize the shaky rotation with a fresh arm until Severino is ready to return.

 

4. Consider firing Marcus Thames

Although Thames has accomplished a lot with the Yankees offense over the past three seasons. You can say his hitting approach is not a bad one since the team is always at the top of the majors in slugging percentage, it just gets badly exposed when good pitchers get a hold of them in the postseason. At some point the Yankees have to realize that the current status quo is not going to win them a championship. Moving on from Thames may hurt in the short term, but could bare sweeter fruit in the long run.

 

5 Yankees That Must Make An Impact In 2021

 Clint Frazier

Frazier is expected to assume the everyday duties in left field this season. That now means that he will be under every watching eye of both the organization and fans alike. Should he have a productive year, it will go a long way to solidifying his future as a Yankee. On the other hand, any prolonged struggles will result in stark criticism as to whether he should continue to occupy the starting role. The sky's the limit for "Red Thunder" it is up to him how high his career will fly.

Aaron Judge

After taking home Rookie of the Year honors in 2017 with record setting numbers, Judge has found himself in a bit of a career crossroads. He has spent the last three seasons dealing with injuries stints that have hampered his overall productivity. If he stays healthy, he will make all the difference for Yankees offense that is looking to make an impact this season. It will also play a big part in landing a long-term deal to stay in pinstripes for the foreseeable future.

Corey Kluber

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After missing the entirety of 2020 with a shoulder issue, Kluber is looking to get back on track as a part of the Yankees rotation in 2021. He is going to deal with Skepticisms, mostly because of the unknown variables of his previously ailing arm. However, as a former two-time Cy Young winner he has the capability to be a top line starter that will pair nicely with Gerrit Cole.

Luis Severino

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Severino has not pitched since 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery last February. The club is hopeful that he can round back into the All Star form he showed in the first half of the 2019 season. That would go a long way to ensuring the pitching staff is solidified as one of the best in the league. He is expected to be third in the rotation which will take some of the edge off his return but like Kluber, expect skeptics to keep a sharp eye on his form.

Gary Sanchez

Photo: Nuzzio DiNuzzo/AP

If there is anyone that needs to have an immediate impact on the team, it's beleaguered catcher Gary Sanchez. He has woefully underperformed both at and behind the plate for the past three seasons and in turn has worn down the patience of management and the Yankee faithful. If he cannot get out of this prolonged struggle, Sanchez could find himself benched for the duration of the season and quite possibly jettisoned out of the Bronx. This is a most important year for the 28-year-old who has spent nearly half of his life in the Yankees organization. So, one must be certain he does not want to see it come to an end on a disappointingly bitter note.