Yankees Podcast: Wild left field solution, Frankie Montas, Paul O'Neill

Even if the New York Yankees employ their latest proposed left field solution ... how long can we really expect a Big Boy Outfield of Aaron Judge, Harrison Bader and Giancarlo Stanton to survive out there?

Yanks Go Yard Yankees podcast hosts Adam Weinrib and Thomas Carannante are pessimistic, even though they're intrigued. Unfortunately, as powerful as that lineup sounds, all of Stanton's recent outfield splits come in small sample sizes ... because something always ends his time in the field prematurely.

So, it's Aaron Hicks, for the time being. Maybe it's Rafael Ortega by May. And maybe it's Ian Happ by August. Not the best plan to plan to be worse off early in the season, but that's the path the Yankees have chosen, with limited other options at their disposal.

Yankees Podcast: Could Frankie Montas return by August?

The boys also break down Frankie Montas' new timetable for return after successful surgery. According to the team, he could begin throwing in 12 weeks, meaning he could be ramping up to return by mid-July or the beginning of August.

A betting man would bet against it, though. Like the sad saga of Ben Rortvedt, we have far more data indicating Montas will suffer a setback than we have hints and indications that he'll be just fine.

Still, August is a better option for New York than mid-September, even if everyone and their mother knows Brian Cashman will refer to Montas' return as "better than any pitcher we could've traded for" if he does make it back around the deadline.

When and if Montas starts this season, at least the legendary Paul O'Neill will be there to call it rather than sitting in an Ohio basement straining at a screen while perched in front of a hanging towel. That'll be nice.