What are the Yankees going to do, trade the entire farm system for Ketel Marte?
Well, we suppose that’s an option come July, but it hasn’t been one in Brian Cashman’s playbook in recent seasons. The Yanks GM is chasing sustainable success through retaining controllable players, which will make it that much harder to land a difference-making centerfielder this summer among the dearth of viable options.
It’s also why Wednesday’s experiment with Aaron Judge in center was particularly intriguing.
What if he can play significant innings out there and is complemented by Brett Gardner and perhaps Estevan Florial later on? Would the Yankees still need to make a trade to replace the injured Aaron Hicks?
Manager Aaron Boone made clear that while Judge was not about to become his everyday center fielder, Wednesday’s defensive alignment was not a one-off, either.
“Obviously [we’re] understanding we’re in some unique circumstances right now where it’s needed,’’ Boone said.
“Aaron is excited to step up to the challenge. He’s a great outfielder [and] a good athlete. Fundamentally, he’s incredibly sound as a defender … We’ll see how our situation evolves [and] see how it goes. We’ll see what our roster looks like as we continue to go forward. Circumstances change.”
The two most significant questions are Judge’s health, and how his elite right field skills will translate to center. Will he be competent? Below average in the ground he can cover? Above?
After playing the position in college, Judge has done so very minimally in pro ball. Before seeing a significant sample of him in center on a big league field at age 29, we can only guess that his athleticism will help him at least hold it down.
“He’s about as talented as they come on the baseball field,’’ said Gerrit Cole, who saw Judge play center in college.
“There’s no job or task too big for Aaron. I probably assume he’ll come through this with the Superman cape he tends to wear every time he plays.”
It stands to reason that since a center fielder generally covers more ground than a corner outfielder, Boone is taking at least a slight risk with Judge’s fragile legs and, occasionally, side. After all, the Yanks are practicing load management to get Judge through the season, nursing him through periods of soreness with non-injury days off.
“It’s something I considered,’’ Boone said of Judge’s health, before quickly adding, “There are days where he’s moving a ton in right field.”
If it can all work out, the Yankees will have a center field option better than any they can feasibly acquire.
Say the Diamondbacks make Marte available. A fierce bidding war would likely ensue, and the player cost would be high. In the unlikely event that the Baltimore Orioles trade Cedric Mullins, it would almost certainly not be to their divisional opponent in New York.
The Yankees don’t seem particularly interested in non-difference making depth options at the moment, if their disengagement in trade talks for Delino DeShields Jr. is any indication.
There simply aren’t a lot of center fielders out there. Unless, just maybe, a decent answer had been excelling in right field all along.
Likely? Probably not. But worth watching with interest.