Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees had a disappointing 2023 season, leading to him receiving a lot of criticism from the fanbase, with some saying the team should trade him. One of those fans is Gary Sheffield Jr., who said the Yankees should treat unloading Giancarlo Stanton as the top priority this winter, and former MLB catcher Erik Kratz, a former teammate of Stanton, vehemently disagreed with the idea.
“The part that Sheffield said about getting rid of him, I couldn't more disagree with,” Erik Kratz said on Foul Territory. “2022 this guy was an All-Star. Does anybody remember the injury that he had after the All-Star break to then play through and finish out his season with a .759 OPS? The same injury that he then ended up having again last year and saw him running the bases at a slower than Kratz pace? The guy was playing through things. So I don't know if they do over/unders before the season of what somebody's going to do, but I'm not getting rid of this guy, and I promise you, if he is available for a palatable price, there will be 25 other teams ready to pick him up.”
"25 teams ready to take him"@ErikKratz31 doesn't think the Yankees will trade Giancarlo Stanton, but if they chose to – they will have many teams as trade suitors.
▶️ https://t.co/hy77ZfqVjf pic.twitter.com/joNUdoVKZ5
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) October 19, 2023
Kratz is not wrong that Stanton has been dealing with injuries over the last two seasons. The calf injuries specifically have hampered him significantly. Stanton finished last season hitting .191 with a .275 on-base percentage with 24 home runs, according to FanGraphs. it was his worst season since becoming a Yankee. Injuries have been a problem for Stanton since 2019, with 2021 being the lone exception.
What complicates Gary Sheffield Jr.'s request is that Stanton has a no-trade clause. Something he utilized to go to the Yankees. Going into his age 34 season, Stanton is no longer as desirable. The Yankees are on the hook for $22 million for Stanton on their luxury tax payroll. It would be interesting to see if Kratz is right, but we likely will not find out.
Due to all of those factors combined, the Yankees are likely to retain Stanton and hope he can bounce back with a more healthy season in 2024.
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