With Anthony Rizzo struggling mightily for the New York Yankees this season the organization could look to replace him soon and there are many potential options in and outside the organization.
Heading into the MLB games today, the Yankees have one of the best records in baseball and have very little to complain about. Juan Soto has been everything the organization could hope for. Young pitcher Luis Gil could start the All-Star game and Anthony Volpe is looking like the future star he was long projected to be.
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However, one of the few players that have not produced up to the needed standard is first baseman Anthony Rizzo. The 34-year-old has the sixth-worst OPS for all first basemen with at least 150 plate appearances, he has among the lowest OBP and SLG on the roster, and even his always-reliable defense has regressed. He currently ranks 17th among all first basemen in outs above average and 24th among first basemen in defensive runs saved (via The Athletic).
That is why there has been a lot of speculation that the organization could look to replace him ahead of the July 30 MLB trade deadline. With that in mind, let’s look at five replacement options for the New York Yankees in and outside the franchise.
5 players that could replace New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo
DJ LeMahieu
The most obvious and immediate option for New York is to move DJ LeMahieu over to first and Oswaldo Cabrera becoming the everyday third baseman. However, that may be a lateral move at best for the team, and while Rizzo is struggling he still can make a bigger impact than Cabrera. This option would likely only be used if Rizzo regressed even more this season.
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Paul Goldschmidt
There have been rumblings that 2022 National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt could be up for grabs before the trade deadline, and the Yankees could be a suitor. However, the seven-time All-Star has had an even worse start to 2024 than Rizzo. But, he has hit better in recent weeks and if right, he is a stronger player than the Yankees 1B, even at 36. Goldschmidt could be part of a platoon with Rizzo if the asking price is right.
Pete Alonso
The Yankees and Mets rarely make big trades but if the Pinstripes feel they can win a World Series this year and Pete Alonso is the missing piece, general manager Brian Cashman could be bold and try to land the three-time All-Star. A lineup featuring Volpe, Soto, Aaron Judge, and Alonso could be scary come playoff time and the Yankees have the minor league assets that could interest their crosstown rivals before the deadline.
TJ Rumfield
TJ Rumfield is the first baseman for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The 12th-round pick in 2021 has had a solid season and has a slashline of .298/.368/.773 with three home runs and 28 runs batted in. He won a Gold Glove during his time in Double-A and could be a cheap in-house option to replace or platoon with Rizzo the rest of the way.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
While Vladimir Guerrero Jr. once claimed he would never sign with the New York Yankees, the chance to win a championship in the most famous city in the world, and take that success into arbitration could be too good to pass up. Furthermore, he would go from being a top star in Toronto to one of the other guys in New York, and that reduced role could help the three-time All-Star the rest of this season.
Adding Guerrero Jr. could be an under-the-radar backup plan to keep the team strong in case they lose Soto this winter in free agency.
