Yankees: 3 outfielders NYY can still sign after Kyle Schwarber landed with Nats

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The Yankees can still sign these cheaper free agent outfielders after letting Kyle Schwarber go.

Spoiler Alert: All three spots on this list are going to be Socrates Brito!

Kidding, kidding. There are more outfielders out there.

Kyle Schwarber was always an imperfect fit for the 2021 New York Yankees, and that was being generous. In fact, the only reason we gave credence to the idea that they might sign him was Brian Cashman’s long-time fascination with the burly slugger — well, that and his booming bat.

But after Schwarber signed with Washington on Saturday for a sum total of $10 million guaranteed (along with an $11 million mutual option for 2022), it became very clear that the Yankees had never played in that end of the pool.

So, what happens now? The Yanks don’t have the roundest peg in Schwarber to shove into a square hole as a fourth outfielder in ’21, but they still don’t have a shored-up outfield picture for next season. Beyond Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Clint Frazier and Mike Tauchman (and — LOL — Giancarlo Stanton), there’s no one in place — and you know the Yankees are going to prominently use a fifth name at some point.

Luckily, there are still plenty of fits available, and due to the stagnation we’ve experienced this offseason, plenty of them should still be on the market by the time DJ LeMahieu signs, whenever that is.

These three options could all be excellent bench additions in pinstripes.

Eddie Rosario #20 of the Minnesota Twins (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /

3. Eddie Rosario

The Red Sox will probably get a steal in Eddie Rosario, but the Yankees could also just…do it.

Yankees fans know by now that “fourth outfielder” isn’t an insult in this team’s vernacular. The fourth (and fifth!) members of this team’s outfield rotation routinely play a majority of games, and though someone like Eddie Rosario can probably get assured a starting job elsewhere, he wouldn’t exactly be relegated to the sidelines in the Bronx, either.

At this point, we’ve basically accepted that the rest of baseball is going to let the Red Sox get a steal here by reuniting Alex Cora with his Team Puerto Rico WBC player, then justify it by denigrating his defense in the aftermath (he was worth -11.7 below the average defensively, per FanGraphs, in 2019).

But Rosario’s a spark plug and a pure hitter — he’ll likely thrive wherever he goes and help change the culture.

It’s an awkward fit in the Bronx, similar to the idea of Schwarber, though it certainly makes more sense. Rosario is an above-league-average hitter (117, 114, 103 and 110 wRC+ the past four years) and is a top-20 MVP finisher the past two seasons. The defensive liability (and base running issue) is real, but he’d probably be a more natural fourth outfield fit than the bombastic Schwarber.

This is a long shot, but if the Yankees are trying to soak up a lot of innings with their next addition, this would be an interesting piece.

Albert Almora Jr. #5 of the Chicago Cubs (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /

2. Albert Almora Jr.

What about the other Cubs OF, Yankees fans?

TIRED: The Yankees need someone valuable to back up Aaron Judge.

WIRED: The Yankees need someone valuable to back up Aaron Hicks.

When Judge goes down and New Yorkers are subjected to an overload of Mike Tauchman, things get unpredictable. In 2019, Tauchman was a revelation, earning sarcastic Mike Trout comparisons while approximating his skill set at 70%, posting a 128 wRC+ that season while being a +4.2 on defense. Really good baseball player! In ’20, though, he couldn’t make contact with fastballs down the middle, succumbing to early-career Greg Bird Disease.

But when Hicks goes down, it’s always been a knee-jerk decision: Turn to Brett Gardner, soak in the predictability. Gardy’s not under contract at the moment, though, nor is he a true center fielder anymore.

What about a young defensive standout in Albert Almora Jr., whose bat has never come along, featuring descending wRC+ of 89, 64 and 35 the past three years?

AA Jr. was a no-doubt non-tender this offseason for a money-saving team, but his glove is still impressive and he’s a former projectable top prospect. If he can be obtained for a fifth-outfielder role for $2 or $3 million, why not?

He’s an upgrade over Socrates Brito, right?!

Brett Gardner #11 of the New York Yankees (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

1. Brett Gardner

The Yankees can, and likely will, just bring Brett Gardner back.

Try as we may have to forecast Gardner’s departure the past few months, the idea of his final game in pinstripes coming in front of no one but the ghosts is too depressing to bear.

At a certain point, it seemed possible both parties would split when Gardy’s option was declined, but as the Yankees currently sit in a LeMahieu-induced holding pattern, it would seem like their favorite veteran outfielder is down with the exact same strategy.

According to Bryan Hoch in his latest mailbag, a reunion with Gardner is still the most likely solution here:

Gardner said late in the season that he did not want his final games as a Yankee to be played in an empty ballpark, and there is no sense that he is interested in concluding his career wearing a different uniform. Money shouldn’t be an overwhelming factor for Gardner and both sides seem interested, so I expect him to eventually sign a one-year deal.

As is usually the case, the most boring answer is likely the correct one, Yankees fans.

The Yanks will not sign Kyle Schwarber and aggressively try to fit him into a non-plan. They probably won’t sign Rosario, or Almora, or Jurickson Profar or Josh Reddick.

They’ll sit and wait for Gardner, who’s perfectly willing to be patient, while upgrading (in some capacity) on the mound and in the infield. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 06: Senior Vice President, General Manager Brian Cashman speaks to the media prior to introducing Aaron Boone as New York Yankee manager at Yankee Stadium on December 6, 2017 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

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