The New York Yankees‘ decision to re-sign Anthony Rizzo to play first base had a few consequences.
One of them was that Luke Voit, who had been occupying the position on and off since late 2018, now has no clear path to regular playing time.
The Yankees had already acquired Rizzo via trade last season, when Voit was struggling with a troublesome knee injury.
Rizzo entered free agency after the season, and the Yankees, after analyzing other options such as Matt Olson and Freddie Freeman, opted to bring the former Chicago Cub back.
Voit, obviously, didn’t like it, but understands it’s the nature of business.
James Wagner of the New York Times tweeted the following: “Luke Voit on Anthony Rizzo to Yankees news: ‘That’s two times now … But that’s all I wanted to control this year, being healthy & preparing myself for a long season & not have to go on the freaking DL … I’m just going to stay positive & I have no idea what’s going to happen.'”
Luke Voit on Anthony Rizzo to Yankees news: “That’s two times now … But that’s all I wanted to control this year, being healthy & preparing myself for a long season & not have to go on the freaking DL … I’m just going to stay positive & I have no idea what’s going to happen."
— James Wagner (@ByJamesWagner) March 16, 2022
Voit Will Have To Go Elsewhere To Play More
It sounds like Voit is at least a bit upset about being replaced once again.
His defense, however, is not ideal, and he is injury-prone, forcing the Yankees to look for other alternatives.
Voit is, when healthy, a top bat capable of being among the league leaders in home runs.
He paced the league in round-trippers in 2020, with 22 in the shortened season.
Now, however, he is likely to be traded because there is no room for him to play regularly with the Yankees.
Now that Freeman finally signed, the teams that lost out on Olson and the former Brave will now be looking for a slugging first baseman, and Voit fits the bill.
The Tampa Bay Rays or, most likely, the San Diego Padres or the Seattle Mariners, could be interested in Voit.
NEXT: Yankees Make It Official With Anthony Rizzo