Yankees Could Fill Left Field Vacancy With One of These Remaining Free Agents

New York missed out on a few top outfielders in free agency, but these veteran options remain available.

Author:
Max Goodman
Publish date:
Dec 20, 2022 12:24 PM EST

In this story:

New York Yankees

Michael Conforto

Jurickson Profar

Adam Duvall

A.J. Pollock

David Peralta

Andrew Benintendi

Michael Brantley

Brandon Nimmo

The Yankees have had a remarkable offseason thus far, dropping nearly $600 million in free agency, but it won't be a success until they address their biggest weakness.

New York has a glaring vacancy in left field, a question mark that looms over a winter that's already included the retention of Aaron Judge and Anthony Rizzo along with the addition of Carlos Rodón. Considering how the Yankees' offense vanished down the stretch and in the postseason in 2022, this team needs another left-handed contact hitter to complement the sluggers in the heart of their lineup.

When this offseason began, New York had a surplus of top-tier outfielders to choose from on the open market. After Andrew Benintendi signed with the White Sox, Brandon Nimmo returned to the Mets, Michael Brantley inked a new deal with the Astros and Japanese stud Masataka Yoshida agreed to a contract with the Red Sox, however, the majority of the most talented free-agent outfielders are no longer available.

New York can take other routes to find their starting left fielder for next season. They can make a trade, targeting some of these impactful outfielders that could be on the move this winter. The alternative would be to stick with internal options, rolling with Oswaldo Cabrera, Aaron Hicks or even Estevan Florial.

While the Yankees consider all of those possibilities, understanding that time is of the essence, here are six of the best outfielders remaining in free agency.

Remember, options are limited at this point. Some of these assets would be a worst-cast scenario (or even a depth signing) as other outfielders come flying off the board.

Outfielders the New York Yankees Could Sign This Offseason

Here are six veteran outfielders the Yankees could target in free agency in order to fill their vacancy in left field.

Michael Conforto

Conforto is the last outfielder still available in free agency that's in the same tier as Benintendi and Nimmo.

The 29-year-old comes with plenty of risks—Conforto didn't play at all in 2022 after undergoing right shoulder surgery last spring—but his ceiling is high and his fit in pinstripes seems like it would be seamless. A left-handed hitter, Conforto gets on base and has power to the pull side. He was an All-Star back in 2017, producing 2.0 fWAR in just 54 games during the pandemic-shortened season in 2020.

In 2021, Conforto was impacted by injuries as well, playing in only 125 games while hitting .232/.344/.384. He's been a free agent ever since.

As much as Conforto fits the mold of what New York is looking for, the injury history isn't going away. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote on Monday that some teams—not necessarily the Yankees—are concerned about Conforto's ability to throw at full strength from the outfield.

If Conforto turns out to be a defender that needs to spend time at designated hitter, then New York should spend their money elsewhere. They need that spot open for Giancarlo Stanton and their logjam of infielders. If the price is right and the team is confident with his medicals, then this could be a solid match.

David Peralta

Peralta was a name that popped up before the trade deadline this summer, another experienced left-handed bat with plenty of pop. He ended up going from Arizona to Tampa, producing a .652 OPS over 47 games down the stretch with the Rays without hitting any home runs.

The vision for Peralta in a full season at Yankee Stadium is clear, if you squint hard enough past his age and not-so-great strikeout and chase rates. Plus, Peralta was credited with plus-five Outs Above Average during his age-34 season this year (FanGraphs wasn't as kind, reporting that Peralta was responsible for minus-5 Defensive Runs Saved in left field).

Bottom line, Peralta could be a good platoon option with his numbers against right-handed pitching, if New York chose to go that direction. The vet has slashed .294/.350/.486 against righties across his nine-year career.

Jurickson Profar

When it comes to outfielders who put the ball in play, look no further than this guy. Profar was impressive with the Padres in 2022, producing an elite whiff rate (18.7 percent), strikeout rate (15.7) and walk rate (11.1). He's a switch-hitter, can play all over the field on defense and racked up some postseason experience this fall with San Diego, coming off his best season in the big leagues (career-high 2.5 fWAR in '22).

While Profar puts the ball in play, he typically doesn't strike it with authority. The 29-year-old had a 87.5 mph average exit velocity (lower than Hicks) with a 4.0 barrel rate.

AJ Pollock

Pollock is a World Series champion from his tenure with the Dodgers, a 35-year-old entering his 12th MLB season. He wouldn't be a solution to New York's search for balance in their lineup, but Pollock can still swing it. The outfielder is one year removed from hitting .297/.355/.536 with Los Angeles.

Even with his occasional thump, speed and arm strength, it feels counterintuitive for New York to add a right-handed hitter that chases often and rarely works walks.

Adam Duvall

Duvall in many ways is a similar case to Pollock. He has ample experience with a World Series ring, he has a positive track record on defense and in this case, boasts some serious potential in the power department. Duvall hit 38 home runs with 113 RBI in 2021 with the Marlins and Braves.

He came back to earth in 2022, though, batting .213 with a .677 OPS. The last thing New York needs is another right-handed power bat who strikes out a lot (32.1 percent of the time this year, to be exact).

Robbie Grossman

This switch-hitter is not the answer for New York if they want an outfielder that excels on offense. Grossman had the worst season of his career at the plate in 2022, slashing .209/.310/.311 across 129 games (he was traded from the Tigers to the Braves midway through).

Still, Grossman gets a mention here for his ability to get on base, stay within the strike zone, his experience and his skills defensively.

Honorable mentions (digging deeper into the list of free agents that are still available): Adam Engel, Willi Castro, Raimel Tapia, Andrew McCutchen, Tyler Naquin, Kole Calhoun, Corey Dickerson

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