5 DH options the Yankees can acquire if Giancarlo Stanton's injury is long-term

After perusing the list of remaining DH options on the free agent market, I have one question for the New York Yankees front office: Can any of these relief pitchers also DH?

Giancarlo Stanton's mysterious absence is now threatening to affect the Yankees in the long-term. While Hal Steinbrenner is correct that not everyone needs a $300+ million payroll to win a championship, a team that is willing to absorb Stanton's salary in the pursuit of victory should also be amenable to insuring against his absence by adding more money to the books. Stanton is a once-in-a-lifetime power threat and an extremely likable leader and Yankee. He's also often unavailable, and needs to be paired with a big bat replacement so that the lineup doesn't collapse while he's on the mend.

The Yankees, who knew Stanton was dealing with something serious in his elbows throughout the 2024 season, capped their spending after Paul Goldschmidt anyhow. Already a bat short at third base, that number of holes left unfilled seems like it will double for the month of April (or longer).

Ideally, any player the Yankees would have designs on acquiring at this point could play the field as well as DH. Even if Stanton's out long-term, one of the Yankees' main issues has been their inability to rotate players in and out of the DH role for rest/rehabilitation. If Stanton's active, that spot is his. Signing or trading for a perma-DH would leave the Yankees inflexible without Stanton's star power as a saving grace.

Still, with the offseason officially done, these effective DH cure-alls are few and far between. If the Yankees choose to seek upgrades/replacements, they're going to be stuck looking at a few bat-only players.

DH options the New York Yankees can sign or trade for after Giancarlo Stanton's injury

Trade Options: Bizarre to even think about because, well, the primary trade pieces on the market are ... Nolan Arenado? Willi Castro? Both of these players would make more sense at third base than at DH, especially the 10-time Gold Glover. That said, a long-term Stanton injury does open up the door for...

Luis Arraez

Certain fans love to hate him, and the power dropoff from Stanton to Arraez would be extremely concerning, to say the least. That said, the three-time running batting champion has real value, and could solve the Yankees' leadoff woes without giving them defensive agita (for the time being). This could be a viable use of Marcus Stroman's money (do you trust Randy Vásquez?) and a pair of top prospects.

Free Agent Options: Yes, somehow, these really do exist. But you're not going to love them.

Aaron Hicks!

Just kidding. But he is available, if he's interested in continuing his MLB career. (Understatement of the Century Alert) Best just to move on. Other reunions include Alex Verdugo (not for this role), Matt Carpenter (huh) and Anthony Rizzo (hmm).

Adam Duvall

The 36-year-old Duvall played the "righty masher" role to perfection (when healthy) for the 2023 Red Sox, then struggled in his return to Atlanta last year to the tune of -1.4 bWAR in 303 at-bats. Still, he mashed 21 homers in 92 games with Boston, posting an .834 OPS and passable defense the year prior.

David Peralta

Peralta is 37 years old, but it's strange that he doesn't currently have a job ... especially if there's an available job where all you have to do is hit. Last season, he posted a 109 OPS+ for the Padres in 236 at-bats, accruing 0.8 bWAR. Peralta would represent an above-average offensive addition, a lefty, and a potent bench bat/occasional outfield fill-in whenever Stanton returns. What could the price be here? Could it possibly be prohibitive?

Robbie Grossman

Three years removed from a 115 OPS+ in Detroit, the pesky switch-hitter posted a 79 OPS+ in three stops last season. His time as a big-league regular is likely done.

JD Martinez

Biggest name goes last, but also arguably the least versatile. Martinez is here to chew bubblegum and mash baseballs, and by the looks of it, he's all out of bubblegum and almost sapped of his ability to tilt a game on offense. His 106 OPS+ last season with the Mets was solid, if unspectacular, but given his lack of value elsewhere on the diamond, it's unsurprising that no one has met his asking price. He's certainly the most impactful non-Arraez addition the Yankees could make, in terms of name recognition, but he likely won't settle for what they're offering (and there are better uses of the Yankees' limited funds). If nothing materializes, Martinez could always become a full-time pickleballer ahead of schedule.