Former Dodgers Slugger Predicted to Sign with Yankees as Stanton Injury Replacement
The New York Yankees are already dealing with some troubling news as premier power hitter Giancarlo Stanton is expected to miss the first couple of months of the MLB season with elbow injuries. In a new “Prediciting every MLB team’s opening day lineup” by Bleacher Reports’ Joel Reuter, New York is expected to sign former Dodgers All-Star J.D. Martinez to slot in as the team’s designated hitter until Stanton returns. While Martinez’s production slowed down in 2024 with the New York Mets as opposed to his incredible 2023 with Los Angeles, he has proven to be a solid option at the plate and a great clubhouse presence. In 2023 with Los Angeles, he hit 33 home runs, drove in 103 runs, and slugged .572. The Yankees desperately need another power hitter to solidify the middle of their order after the departure of Juan Soto and now the Stanton news. Martinez may not fix all the team’s problems, but he is a highly capable option to help drive in runs and hit for some power. In the prediction article, Martinez is slotted sixth in the order behind catcher Austin Wells and ahead of the Yankees’ upcoming prospect Jasson Dominguez. It feels like the perfect fit for both New York and Martinez, who is still a current free agent, and he has gone on the record stating he still wants to play baseball after considering retirement at the end of the 2024 season.
In an offseason when the starting pitching free agent class was extremely stacked, the always hunting for ways to get better Los Angeles Dodgers once again loaded up on talent.
Not only did Los Angeles sign Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki to a deal worth just $6.5 million, but they also landed two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell after he’s spent the last four seasons with divisional rivals San Diego and San Francisco.
Those two offseason signings loaded up the Dodgers starting rotation, which now includes Sasaki, Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Bobby Miller, Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, and at some point during the season, a returning Shohei Ohtani.
Because of the massive load of talent in the rotation, the Dodgers are expected to lean heavily on a six-man rotation to begin the season. That allows pitchers to get an extra day or two of rest, and it allows more pitchers to see the mound and stay fresh and in rhythm during the season.
