After being linked to high-priced, top-tier free-agent first basemen like Christian Walker and Pete Alonso all winter the New York Yankees have pivoted.
They are are looking for a “more inexpensive,” option at first base, ESPN analyst Ken Rosenthal reported on Foul Territory.
And it’s not just money that the Yankees were worried about spending.
“I believe you guys mentioned it earlier, and I wrote this too, the qualifying offer and the potential loss of two more draft picks was a factor here,” Rosenthal said of the Yankees pivoting to less expensive first-base options. “Remember, they lost their second and fifth-highest picks from Max Fried. If they had signed Walker or if they signed Alonzo, they would also lose their third and sixth-highest pick.”
The Yankees’ talks with Walker reportedly cooled off after they signed Fried. With Walker signing a deal with the Houston Astros, Alonso is the biggest first-base free agent available and while the Yankees have been in contact with his agent, it feels like an unlikely fit.
So the Yankees are likely to look elsewhere.
Paul Goldschmidt makes the most sense as a 37-year-old who can give them solid defense and they can hope for a bounce-back year at the plate. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the Yankees’ focus has shifted to the former MVP and another veteran first baseman Carlos Santana.
They also have toyed with the idea of a trade and candidates like the Cleveland Guardians’ Josh Naylor, the Rangers’ Nathaniel Lowe, and even the Tampa Bay Rays’ Yandy Diaz make sense for the Yankees.
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