Giancarlo Stanton’s place with the Yankees is suddenly very much up for debate.
He has been in the organization for nine seasons now, but “parts of” nine seasons may be the better way to describe it. Since arriving from Miami in the December 2017 three-player trade, Stanton has spent more time fighting injuries than stacking full seasons, and 2026 was another reminder of that reality. He appeared in only 26 regular-season games and added two pinch-hit trips in the playoffs after multiple strains in both calves knocked him out for long stretches.
That limited run produced a modest .250/.320/.422 line with three homers in 96 plate appearances, which worked out to the second-lowest wRC+ of his 17 Major League seasons with the Marlins and Yankees at 102. He struck out in both postseason plate appearances, too, after not playing in a game of any kind since the last week of April.
The broader picture is just as uneven. Stanton has played in 764 of a possible 1,356 games during his Yankees tenure, and he has reached 500 plate appearances in only two of those nine seasons. Even his recent production comes with a caveat: since the start of the 2022 season, he owns a 114 wRC+ in 1,703 plate appearances, but that number is being propped up heavily by his 2025 season, when he hit .273/.350/.594 with 24 home runs and posted a 157 wRC+ over 281 plate appearances.
Now he’s about to turn 37, and the Yankees have to decide how much more they want to keep betting on the bat while living with everything else that comes with him. He has basically been a DH for years, and he didn’t play a single inning in the field in 2024 or 2026, though he did log 20 outfield appearances in 2025. Given the recurring physical issues, it’s fair to wonder whether New York will ever use him anywhere but designated hitter again.
The contract situation gives the Yankees room to think hard about it. Stanton is entering the final guaranteed year of the huge 13-year, $325MM extension he signed with the Marlins in November 2014.
He is owed $25MM in salary in 2027, and the Yankees also hold a $25MM club option for 2028 that is expected to be bought out for $10MM. That leaves him guaranteed for $35MM overall.
But the trade terms with Miami reduce the burden for New York. After Stanton declined his opt-out following the 2020 season, the Marlins were on the hook for $30MM to the Yankees, paid in two $5MM installments each year from 2026 to 2028. With the first two payments already made, and Miami still set to contribute $20MM more, the Yankees’ share of Stanton’s guaranteed money is now down to $15MM.
That’s a manageable number, which is why a return still makes sense on paper. The Yankees are only one season removed from Stanton’s strong 2025 and two seasons removed from his ALCS MVP run in 2024. He may not have had enough time to catch one of his trademark heater stretches this year, but recent history says that when he gets hot, he can still look like one of the most dangerous hitters in the sport.
There’s also a possible path that keeps him around and gives the Yankees some roster flexibility. Aaron Boone said this week that Luis Garcia Jr. could potentially move back to second base after spending the entire 2026 season at first base or DH with the Nationals and Yankees. Garcia showed solid defense at first after previously struggling at second, and the Yankees may believe they can help him improve at the keystone.
If Garcia can handle second and Ben Rice returns to a full-time first-base role, Stanton would have a clearer lane at DH. And if Stanton ends up missing more time, New York could shuffle Garcia back to first and Rice to DH, or rotate other players through the spot. Aaron Judge could also see more DH days after his injury-marred 2026 season, since keeping him healthy is obviously a top priority.
Still, the more drastic outcome is on the table too. Stanton’s long run in New York and his leadership role in the clubhouse make this a serious call, but the $15MM price tag is low enough that the Yankees could simply absorb it and move on. A trade looks unlikely because of Stanton’s no-trade protection and because other teams would be hesitant to take on even part of that money.
Releasing him would mean walking away from the possibility that his power bat still has one more big stretch left in it. It would also mean prioritizing speed, defense and roster flexibility over a player whose best days may already be behind him. After another disappointing playoff exit, and with defense again a major issue in the ALDS loss to the Rays, that kind of decision may not be as far-fetched as it once would have seemed.
The Yankees are back in familiar territory: searching for answers after falling short. Judge said after the ALDS that he felt the Yankees “ should go all-in and do what they need to do and if we got holes, it’s finding certain players or personnel, whatever we need, we got to go out there and get it.” Letting Stanton go would be a harsh way to answer that challenge, but it might be the kind of tough call New York is willing to make if it thinks that’s the path back to a championship.
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