Giancarlo Stanton isn’t going anywhere.
That was the clearest message Brian Cashman delivered Tuesday in Las Vegas, where the Yankees general manager spent part of the MLB General Managers meetings fielding questions about a roster that has already started to take shape around health, depth and a few major moving parts.
Cashman said the Yankees will not trade Stanton, designate him for assignment or release him, even with the club now responsible for just another $15 million. When asked directly whether Stanton would still be in pinstripes next season, Cashman didn’t leave room for interpretation.
“Yes, absolutely,” he responded.
Stanton, who turned 37 last Sunday, has missed 49 percent of the Yankees’ games since 2019. This season, he was on the injured list from late April until returning for the postseason as a pinch-hitter. Even so, Cashman made it clear the organization still sees him as a force when he’s available.
“There’s never been a time when he’s healthy that he’s not been impactful,” Cashman said. “So if he’s healthy, I know he can impact.
I know he can get streaky and all that stuff, but he’s an impact hitter. He always has been.
“So hopefully we’ll get a healthy Stanton. He’s a big presence in our clubhouse, a great leader.
He’s wired right. He’s doing everything he possibly can to impact us in a real positive way.
So he’s not going anywhere. He’s not being ...
“To answer your question, he’ll be in spring training with us without a doubt, and hopefully healthy and ready to go. And that’s his intention.
He finished the season healthy. And the fact that Aaron Boone was calling his name in big moments I think answers the question of what we think he’s capable of when he is healthy.”
Stanton’s role would also shape the rest of the lineup picture. Cashman said he has no issue with Ben Rice handling first base if Stanton is locked into the DH spot. Rice, who hit 41 homers this past season, would stay at first, while Luis Garcia Jr. could factor into the mix at second base.
“I have no problem with (Rice at first base) if Stanton’s healthy and he’s in the DH spot,” Cashman added. “No problem.
Not even an afterthought at this stage that Rice is playing first. He’s a given.
I don’t care if he’s a 55 over there or a 45 defensively. I don’t even worry about it.”
Those grades refer to the scouting scale, where 55 is slightly above average and 45 is average. Rice’s work at first base this season left plenty of room for improvement.
In 56 games there, he posted minus-7 Outs Above Average in Baseball Savant’s rankings, which placed him 97th among 100 first basemen with at least 10 chances. He also finished tied for 133rd among 135 first basemen in FanGraphs’ Defensive Runs Saved, with a minus-8.
Cashman said he expects Rice to keep improving.
“I think he’ll improve defensively year in and year out,” he said. “I think he markedly improved this year compared to where he was. (First base) legitimately is (an option) and I think he’ll definitely get better and better defensively there.”
Garcia’s potential role is still being sorted out, but Cashman said the Yankees are open to using him at second base. The Washington Nationals had moved Garcia to first before trading him to New York this summer because of his defensive issues at second.
“His agent asked me what our thoughts were on him and I told him that definitely for first base and second base in his profile,” Cashman said. “We’re definitely trying to evaluate second base. It’s something he’s done in the past and I know Boonie’s mentioned it’s something that he also thought he’s capable of based on how he’s seen him work the infield and take pregame there.
“So (second baseman is) something we’ll explore and be open-minded to consider. It depends how this winter shakes out well before Opening Day because there’s a lot of things that could change roster wise.”
Stanton’s presence at DH would also have an impact on Aaron Judge, who will turn 35 in April. Judge missed more than three months this season because of a stress fracture in his right rib, but Cashman said surgery won’t be needed.
He also said the Yankees expect Judge to get more time at DH next season.
“I’m sure he’s going to need some DH time,” Cashman said. “I’m sure he doesn’t want to hear that but he’s an alpha.
He wants to play (right field) every day … but I would think at times we’ll see Judge playing DH because it’s what’s in his best interest. And what’s in his best interest is going to be what’s in our best interest if we can just make sure that we can maintain health.
“He’s one of the game’s great players. We’ve got to keep those guys on the field as much as we can get where we want to go.”
Cashman also opened his session with updates on two other key Yankees. Left-hander Max Fried had surgery to remove a bone spur from his pitching elbow and is expected to start throwing in the second week of December before being ready for spring training. Judge, meanwhile, will not need surgery for the rib injury that sidelined him.
The manager’s staff is still in flux, too. Cashman said there is no decision yet on bringing back free agent hitting coach James Rowson, who is interviewing elsewhere.
The Yankees are also waiting to see whether bench coach Brad Ausmus lands the open Astros manager job. In addition, Aaron Gershenfeld has been promoted from player development catching coordinator to catcher coach, replacing Tanner Swanson, who is leaving to become the Seattle Mariners bench coach.
For all the uncertainty elsewhere, Cashman was unwavering about Stanton. The Yankees, he said, still believe there’s value in keeping him around, especially if he can stay healthy.
“I’m not saying whether he will or not,” Cashman said. “I’m just saying that I know when he is healthy, when we are able to deploy him, it’s usually a positive outcome.
He’s a big threat in the lineup, someone that certainly pitchers get nervous about and how they’re going to navigate. Also, just like Judge, he lengthens the lineup.”
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