What Are The Yankees Gonna Do About Replacing Stanton's Bat?

There has been plenty of debate among us bloggers and sportswriters about what the Yankees need to replace Giancarlo Stanton. The bottom line? We need a home run hitter. Truth be told, I’m not one of those stat nerds obsessed with righty-lefty splits—I just want a reliable hitter. Righty, lefty, it doesn’t matter to me. What does matter is that Opening Day is just around the corner, and Stanton has officially fallen apart, thanks to his never-ending elbow issues and Achilles problems.

So the real question is: can we just get a replacement and move on?

Pinstripe Alley has made it clear that they believe the Yankees need a right-handed bat, and I respect their take. They argue that, with Stanton out, the Yankees lack a true right-handed power threat outside of Aaron Judge and, hopefully, Paul Goldschmidt. They point out that key players like Austin Wells, Cody Bellinger, and Jazz Chisholm all hit from the left side. Anthony Volpe hasn’t yet proven he can be a consistent offensive force. Oswaldo Cabrera’s power is significantly better from the left side (16 homers) than the right (just three). 

The Yankees seem to recognize this imbalance and are reportedly still scouring the market for a right-handed bat. Everson Pereira was once a possibility, but he was reassigned to minor league camp to continue rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. And now, with Jon Heyman reporting that Stanton won’t return until at least Memorial Day, the need for a righty bat is even more urgent.

I get it—I really do. But honestly? I just want the hole filled. I’m losing patience. J.D. Martinez was a name that kept popping up for weeks, but that talk has completely faded. My stance has been simple: just sign someone who can hit. Alex Verdugo, Anthony Rizzo—who cares if they’re lefties? It’s a DH spot, it’s potentially a one-year deal, and these guys will give you something. Maybe it’s not perfect, but it’s better than doing nothing.

Now, The Sporting News is pushing the idea that Ben Rice could make sense as Stanton’s replacement. They highlight his impressive spring performance, including a home run off Taijuan Walker. Rice, a lefty with a smooth swing, was a 12th-round pick out of Dartmouth in 2021 but has quickly made a name for himself.

So what do we really need? A hitter—plain and simple. Analysts can crunch all the numbers that suggest a right-handed bat is necessary, but at the end of the day, the Yankees aren’t making a move. That tells me Rice may have the inside track for the DH spot. If they truly believed they needed a righty, they would’ve signed J.D. Martinez already.

One thing is certain: this uncertainty with both Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton out is driving us all crazy. The offseason was amazing, and we thought we were set. But now? It feels chaotic. Stay tuned.