Earlier this week, the New York Yankees signed first baseman Anthony Rizzo to a two-year pact. Rizzo's return, in addition to New York's reported interest in Freddie Freeman throughout the winter, has fueled speculation that the Yankees will look to trade incumbent first baseman Luke Voit, who is coming off a disappointing season.
Indeed, Voit was limited to just 68 games because of various injuries. When he played, he wasn't up to his usual form. He batted .239/.328/.437 (109 OPS+) with 11 home runs and an inflated strikeout rate north of 30 percent. This from someone who, in his prior two full seasons with the Yankees, had hit .268/.366/.513 (135 OPS+) with 43 homers.
Voit only recently celebrated his 31st birthday, and he'll remain under team control until the winter of 2024. It stands to reason someone will take him if the Yankees do make him available. Just who might that someone be? Below, we've identified and ranked six potential landing spots based on their perceived likelihood.
1. Cleveland Guardians
It's never a good idea to assume the Guardians' ownership would allow them to add payroll, but surely Cleveland has to do something to address its lineup between now and Opening Day. Voit, who is projected to make $5.4 million through arbitration, would represent an upgrade over the Bobby Bradley-Yu Chang timeshare the Guardians currently have in place. Plus, they could always spin off Voit if he has a big first half and they find themselves on the outskirts of the postseason picture.