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3 trade destinations for Yankees’ Luke Voit after MLB installs Universal DH

By Adam Weinrib |
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 24: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Luke Voit #59 of the New York Yankees in action against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on June 24, 2021 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Royals 8-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 24: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Luke Voit #59 of the New York Yankees in action against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium on June 24, 2021 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Royals 8-1. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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Luke Voit #59 of the New York Yankees (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
Luke Voit #59 of the New York Yankees (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) /

More often than not, when Luke Voit was in uniform, he was extremely beneficial to the Yankees’ chances of winning baseball games.

Unfortunately, therein lies the problem; if traded, Voit will be nearly as available to the Yanks as he was before a deal was made (eg, not very available).

Whichever team acquires Voit and takes him off his feet at first base more often than not will be acquiring a ~120 OPS+ bat who rakes whenever he manages to stay healthy for long periods of time.

We understand that’s a dicier proposition than ever, considering his seemingly degenerative knee that flared up in 2021 is a new development, compared to his earlier injury issues. But someone’s going to take a chance on talent — and that list of potential “someones” just doubled thanks to a rare Rob Manfred W. Thanks, Commish!

On Thursday afternoon, during a lengthy press conference intended to declare that Spring Training and the 2022 MLB season will start on time (they won’t), Manfred admitted that the MLB owners had acquiesced on two main talking points: draft pick compensation for free agents would be eliminated, and the Universal DH would be installed across both leagues.

That means the Luke Voit waters just doubled in depth. These NL teams that might’ve had interest previously but were scared of installing Voit at first full-time should probably double back and give Cash a call.

3 trade destinations for Yankees’ Luke Voit when Universal DH arrives.

3. Milwaukee Brewers

We had to do it to ’em.

We will not belabor the point. We will not try to add Josh Hader to a prospective deal, placing more burden on the Yankees to add prospect piece after prospect piece. We will not pretend that Voit is some impenetrable force who carries no risk, who the Brew Crew would be foolish not to fork over some top-10 names for.

We will just say that the Brewers won the NL Central last season, and made promises of a long playoff run (helmed by the best rotation in baseball) before flaming out in the NLDS. They didn’t have nearly enough offense to power them past the first round — and that was with a pitcher batting in the nine-hole.

Their first baseman is Rowdy Tellez, at the moment, which doesn’t sound like quite enough until you realize … he was also their best hitter during last year’s postseason. Beyond Tellez, there wasn’t nearly enough pop in the order with Christian Yelich struggling. If all Voit has to do is slug, he can certainly complete that assignment.

Let’s say the Brewers don’t obtain someone like Voit. Where is that additional offense coming from? New right fielder Hunter Renfroe? Corey Ray? Tyrone Taylor? Mike Brosseau?

We don’t have to argue much to Milwaukee’s brass here. That should be all the evidence they need.

Darin Ruf #33 of the San Francisco Giants (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Darin Ruf #33 of the San Francisco Giants (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

2. San Francisco Giants

You can’t look at us with a straight face and tell us the San Francisco Giants, who love to see the positive in others’ discarded pieces, would not love to get their hands on the 2020 AL home run leader and take him off his feet (which should help with the dreaded “foot stuff”).

You can’t look at us and say, “The Giants turned Darin Ruf into an extremely valuable bench piece last season en route to their upset NL West title, but they want nothing to do with Luke Voit.” Please don’t look at us and say that.

Voit, who comes with tons of team control (through 2024), is a better player than Ruf ever was before joining the dream team out west. As a healthy major leaguer, Voit has pummeled the baseball. His 2019 line was dragged down (on the verge of an All-Star appearance) by the sudden onset of a core muscle issue, which necessitated offseason surgery. Surgery that sounded grotesque.

All told, in Voit’s most recent full-ish season, he triple-slashed .263/.378/.464, but his September/October after his return were putrid (.194 with two homers in 86 PAs) — and, after all, there was a procedure still on the horizon.

Though competition just opened up, Voit is still readily available at a discount, and could be a genuine difference-maker to a team that isn’t necessarily relying on him/can’t withstand a potential absence. The Giants, who print talent, could be that lucky team.

Joey Votto #19 of the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Joey Votto #19 of the Cincinnati Reds (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

1. Cincinnati Reds

Joey Votto is a Hall of Famer, in our book.

Joey Votto is also 38 years old.

Nobody in our rolodex is acquiring Voit with the intention of making him their primary first baseman, but with more reps to go around, perhaps the Cincinnati Reds pull the trigger with the intention of using Votto in the DH spot for ~35 games, inserting Voit at first, and weighing the defensive downgrade with the offensive infusion?

Keep in mind the Reds will also be losing the offense and energy provided by Nicholas Castellanos last season, and will be attempting to make the postseason on the basis of a juggernaut at the plate (and not, as they did in 2020, off the strength of Trevor Bauer’s right arm).

The Reds are currently stuck in no man’s land, but play in a division not nearly strong enough to make some sort of race to the bottom worthwhile; with the roster they have in place, supplemented by reigning Rookie of the Year Jonathan India and a rising farm system, they’re going to win plenty of games against the Cubs and Pirates nearly by accident.

So why not try to spark some additional revenue with a Wild Card run, especially with expanded playoffs likely on the horizon?

The Yankees and Reds are willing trade partners; though we’ve tried and failed to find a Luis Castillo fit for years now, Brian Cashman bailed out Cincinnati big time in the Aroldis Chapman trade after the 2015 season. Perhaps A-Ball catcher Daniel Vellojin (Cincy’s No. 19 prospect, per MLB Pipeline) is a starting point here? The Yankees will go young, and they’ll search in the 20-25 range in a potential deal here.

Again, why wouldn’t you take such a minuscule risk on Voit if you were in need of offense? We’d rather he stay, but the writing’s on the wall.

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