3. Luke Voit
Most Yankees fans don’t want him gone, but this is just the reality of the situation. The Yankees disrespected and jerked Voit around during the final month and a half of the 2021 season and we don’t see how this relationship is salvageable.
Voit, like Hicks, has largely been hampered by injuries during his time in the Bronx. However, the difference is that Voit has produced at a clip well above average when he’s actually on the field. Just look at his OPS+ numbers since 2018:
- 2018: 193 (in 39 games after coming over via trade)
- 2019: 124 (in 118 games before succumbing to a sports hernia)
- 2020: 157 (in 56 games during the 60-game shortened season)
- 2021: 109 (in 68 games after being held back by knee and oblique injuries)
He’s not exactly a sure glove at first base, but that kind of offensive output has value on the trade market, especially since he’s under club control through the 2024 season. Maybe package him with one of these other guys to sweeten the deal and get a decent return?
We can expect the Yankees to prioritize Rizzo, who certainly fits with this roster in more ways than one, and they sacrificed Voit’s future when they made that loud and clear after July 30. We don’t see a scenario in which the Bombers keep Rizzo and Voit or let Rizzo go and keep Voit. Keeping Rizzo and trading Voit or retaining neither seem to be the likeliest scenarios.