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Yankees Predicted to Add 3-Time Silver Slugger as Giancarlo Stanton Replacement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated Mar 4, 2025 3:46 PM ET

We are nearly three weeks out from the Yankees making their 2025 MLB debut at home against the Brewers, but even for a team that was among the busiest in the league in the offseason, there are still some pretty big holes to be filled on the roster.

Third base remains an open question, and the likelihood is that the Yankees will let the current roster contestants, like Oswaldo Cabrera and DJ LeMahieu, sort out the position before they consider making a trade for an upgrade. But at designated hitter, it could be a different story.

That's because the Yankees will be looking for a reliable option to replace Giancarlo Stanton, whose monster postseason heled drive the Bombers to the World Series.

It's unclear how long Stanton will be out, as he is dealing with issues in both elbows, what manager Aaron Boone called something like, "tennis elbow."

“We’ll see what the doctors say about what’s going on,” Aaron Judge said about Stanton recently. “I’ve been checking with him every day, talking to him. We went out to dinner. He’s got a positive mindset with everything. … He has some downtime right now, just to get things right. I want a healthy G in the middle of the season.”

But "G" has not been all that healthy throughout his stint with the Yankees, and there's no telling whether New York can count on him.

With that in mind, Bleacher Report is projecting that the Yankees will move to sign slugging DH JD Martinez before the season gets underway. In outlining the starting projected lineups for all MLB teams, B/R has Martinez slated to bat sixth.

Citing a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Joel Reuter writes, "With Giancarlo Stanton shelved with elbow tendinitis, the Yankees have reportedly been in contact with veteran J.D. Martinez. ... Don't be surprised if a deal gets done in the near future; otherwise, Ben Rice is the leading in-house candidate for an expanded role."

Martinez, 37, batted .235 in 120 games last season with the Mets. He knocked 16 homers and 69 RBIs, well down from the 33 he hit, with 103 RBIs, in 2023 with the Dodgers.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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