The New York Yankees were extremely passive before the lockout, but are expected to show some sense of urgency when transactions are allowed again.
That means there could be moving parts via trade.
These two players in particular are likely to be traded at some point in 2022.
2. Miguel Andujar
Former 2018 American League Rookie of the Year runner-up Miguel Andujar has crashed down to Earth after that year.
He was brilliant in that season, hitting .297/.328/.527 with 27 home runs, 83 runs scored, and 92 RBI.
He hit a whopping 76 extra-base hits that year, and while his defense at third base was monumentally bad, he was one of the most promising young players in the AL at that point.
He suffered a torn labrum injury in 2019 and was never the same after that.
Last season was the first time he received more than 100 plate appearances since that stellar 2018.
In 45 games and 162 appearances, Andujar hit .253/.284/.383 with six homers.
He was 19 percent worse than the average, judging by his 81 wRC+ (weighted Runs Created Plus, where 100 is average).
Back in the day, he had significant trade value and other teams asked about him in trade negotiations multiple times.
Today, Andujar is unlikely to be a big piece in the Yankees’ 2022 puzzle, and he stands a high chance of being eventually designated for assignment.
He has no defensive value (the Yankees have tried him in left field, third base, and first base, without much success) and he has lost his luster offensively.
Before they get to that point, the Yankees should flip him for a low or mid-level prospect if they can, even if that young player is far from his MLB debut.
Quiet on Andújar and Voit. Makes me wonder if a trade is in the works.
— G.T. Julian Guilarte (@JulianGuilarte1) December 1, 2021
If given regular at-bats he could perhaps get into a rhythm, regain confidence, and return to being an above-average hitter.
1. Luke Voit
Luke Voit has been a fantastic find for the Yankees.
Back in 2018, they acquired him from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for relievers Chasen Shreve and Giovanny Gallegos.
Voit, a first baseman, has hit in every year he has spent with the Yankees.
In 39 games in 2018, he slashed .333/.405/.689 with an incredible 14 homers.
A year later, he hit .263/.378/.464 with 21 blasts in 118 games, and he led the majors in home runs during the shortened 2020 season with 22 in 56 contests.
He was limited to 68 games in 2021, yet he was slightly above-average as his .239/.328/.437 line suggests.
There are a couple of problems with Voit, though.
One, he is injury-prone, having suffered several ailments that limited his playing time considerably in 2019 and 2021.
And two, he is a lousy defensive first baseman.
The Yankees acquired Anthony Rizzo before last year’s deadline in part because they needed a left-handed bat, but also because they couldn’t trust Voit’s health and defensive ability.
His value is limited because of the previously discussed weaknesses, but Voit’s name has already been offered around the league.
The Yankees are interested in Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson, too.
That probably tells you everything you need to know about Voit’s future with the team.
The #Yankees tried to move Luke Voit before the trade deadline, but failed to do so. They will continue to shop him this offseason, and it is unlikely he will be with the #Yankees on Opening Day.
— MLB News Network (@newsnetworkmlb) October 14, 2021
He is perhaps the most likely Yankee to be traded this year.
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