Yankees: Will Luke Voit be the starting first basemen in 2019?

The late-season emergence of Luke Voit was one of the biggest storylines for the Yankees during the 2018 season. Voit was a force down the stretch in the middle of the lineup and deservedly took control of the starting first base job from Greg Bird.

Despite having a terrible season plagued by more injuries, Bird should be back with the Yankees in 2019 and he’ll likely be given an opportunity to win back his starting job next spring according to manager Aaron Boone. Boone also said that Voit has a leg up on the competition right now but a lot can change between now and opening day.

Management isn’t going to hand Bird the job based just on his potential because Voit proved last season that he has the tools to be a legitimate middle of the lineup bat. The sample size for Voit in 2018 was a small one but the numbers he produced with just 132 at-bats cannot be ignored because they were truly remarkable.

Voit as a Yankee in 2018: .333 AVG, 14 HR, 33 RBI, 1.095 OPS

It remains to be seen whether he can sustain that kind of success over the course of a 162 game season, but he certainly deserves the opportunity to try and do so. I know there are also questions about his defense long-term and the Yankees projected lineup heading into 2019 is already too right-handed heavy but those aren’t good enough reasons to go with Bird instead.

I still have hope and belief that a healthy Bird could be a productive player in the long run but if he struggles again next spring Voit has to be the starting first basemen in 2019. That is unless the Yankees have plans to acquire someone else and someone who’s better than both Voit and Bird.

Based on reports over the past couple days that someone else could be Diamondbacks All-Star first basemen, Paul Goldschmidt. The D’Backs are expected to be very active on the trade market this winter as they get set to undergo a complete rebuild. There could be a firesale in Arizona this offseason and Goldschmidt could be on the block since he’s due to become a free agent after the 2019 season.

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May teams are sure to have interest in acquiring a player of Goldschmidt’s caliber but if the Yankees really want him they absolutely have the pieces to get him. Since he’ll be looking for a big deal next offseason the Yanks probably wouldn’t be a long-term fit but if Brian Cashman can get him for just this season he probably wouldn’t hesitate to do so.

As great as Luke Voit was last season and could be moving forward I think it’s safe to say he’s no Paul Goldschmidt and never will be. Goldschmidt is a star and he’d fit right into this Yankees lineup and provide a big upgrade on both sides of the ball.

I don’t know what it would take to get him but since he will be a free agent next offseason nobody’s going to have to empty their farm system to complete a trade. An offer including a pitching prospect like Chance Adams along with a choice of Voit or Bird could be enough to get the D’Backs to bite.

If not then the Yankees lineup should be just fine rolling with what they have because offensively they’re set. Sure, acquiring a player like Goldschmidt would definitely make the Yankees better but their focus this offseason shouldn’t be on adding another big bat. It should be on starting pitching because that’s still the main area they need to upgrade if they’re going to win a championship next season.