Yankees: Blame Giancarlo Stanton trade if NYY move other players this offseason

If the Yankees are forced to trade some of their players this offseason, it’s because of Giancarlo Stanton.

It is not a pleasant time to be a fan of the New York Yankees. Despite possessing one of the best rosters in Major League Baseball, this team continues to fall short, with the latest chapter in the Book of Choke being a defeat at the hands of the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays.

Now, there’s talk about the Yankees potentially making drastic moves this offseason because this is now the fourth straight year they’ve beefed it in the postseason. The results are unacceptable, and somebody needs to be held accountable.

We do not know who that will be, but we’ve heard chatter about dangling Luke Voit, Gio Urshela, Clint Frazier (obviously) and even Gleyber Torres in trade talks before 2021 because those guys can get New York a big return that will help them address other areas of their roster.

It sounds mental, right? All of those guys are incredibly important to the Yankees, and there’s talk about potentially moving on from them after a 60-game season that was forced upon us because of Major League Baseball’s ineptitude.

Aside from blaming MLB, if one or more of those players ends up getting dealt, Yankees fans can direct their ire to the front office for acquiring Giancarlo Stanton before the 2018 season.

Ha, did you think for a SECOND he was opting out? Maybe if he had three straight Barry Bonds-like seasons.

At the time, the Yankees were getting the 2017 NL MVP, but little did they know he’d gradually never play in the field again and only put forth one full season over the last three thanks to soft tissue injuries. Yup, he’s here until the end of the 2027 season and will strictly be a ~$30 million designated hitter. And there is NO way to get rid of him.

The front office made its bed, and now they have to sleep in it. This was a sexy move at the time, but you know there were a contingent of Yankees fans scratching their heads saying, “Um, couldn’t we have just signed two really good pitchers instead of inherit a $300 million contract via trade?”

Well, you’re probably wondering that now! The Yankees have no way out of Stanton’s deal even with the universal DH taking over baseball (nobody is going to want to acquire that contract with the liability from a health standpoint) and they also have no flexibility in the lineup. Stanton is your everyday DH. There is no way around it. He’s making $218 million and better be in the lineup every single day as long as he’s good to go.

So when the Yankees have other powerful bats like Frazier, Voit, Urshela and Torres (who was shaky on defense this year), it’s not out of the question that those guys are next in line to be shown the door.

Sadly, if they go, it won’t be because of their performances. It will be because the Yankees acquired a redundant player with the largest contract in North American sports history.

What to know about Giancarlo Stanton’s contract after Yankees slugger declines to opt out

New York Yankees star slugger Giancarlo Stanton has revealed he won't opt out of his contract and here's everything fans need to know.