Yankees: 3 Players Who Should Sit Out Shortened Season

Rob Manfred is getting close to mandating a 50-game MLB season, and these Yankees should skip it.

Throughout the negotiating process, Rob Manfred and his MLB cronies have repeatedly preached their willingness and apparent desire to fairly compromise on an extended 2020 schedule before employing a “nuclear option” and instituting a 48-to-54-game package. This would leave the Yankees on a near-even playing field instead of allowing their depth to shine through in what should’ve been a World Series window type of season.

Despite the league’s assurances, though, the MLBPA is the only side we’ve seen negotiate in good faith in a while. Steadfastly set on full prorated salaries, MLB players have decreased their ask from 114 games to 89, while the league has continually repackaged the same amount of money in different sliding scales and playoff-contingent cash grabs. We wouldn’t be shocked if their final offer was 154 half-games instead of 76 full games.

With all that being said, unless a drastic reversal takes place, Yankees fans will be looking at a Manfred-owned 50-game season, which’ll be instituted some time next week. These three New York standouts should say thanks, but no thanks, keeping their service time for a fuller season.

3. Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge should sit out a 50-game season, and it might not be his choice.

OK, this one’s easy (and depressing) — perhaps Aaron Judge should consider sitting out a 50-game season considering his ongoing rib injury is a problem that’s far from solved.

If Judge wasn’t swinging a bat yet two weeks ago, and things have been dead silent ever since, what is there to assure any of us that he’s ready to go? A July 10 season start date is only a month away. Back when Spring Training was normal and all our concerns were about nicks and bruises instead of a global pandemic and the future of the sport, surgery was a consideration for Judge. Um, I’d love to hear a little bit more about whether that’s still necessary when a season plan is laid out in the next week or so?

Judge would not accrue any service time if he sits out the 2020 season, keeping him in pinstripes until 2024 without an extension. Hopefully, he’s healthy, ready, willing and able, but…there’s no reason to say that’ll be true with any certainty.