On Tuesday, the Yankees Aaron Judge played catch in the outfield before the team’s night game in Oakland. It was his first baseball activity since suffering an injury to his right big toe on June 3 in Los Angeles.
“It’s just another step,” Judge told reporters. “I wouldn’t say it’s significant or not significant. There’s a lot of steps we gotta take to get back to going on the field, so this is just another step along the way.”
The Yankees – who are 9-10 in Judge’s absence – are fighting to stay in contention for a wild card. New York needs Judge to do that, but it is still unclear when he will return to the lineup.
Between his power production, average and leadership, it’s near impossible to replace Judge’s impact on the Yankees. However, it may be time to trade farm pieces or players on the roster to get some of his production back in the lineup while the team anxiously awaits his return.
Taking a “Money Ball” approach, the task is to replace a .300 average and 19 HRs in 175 at-bats. Assume that with a foot tendon issue, Judge will miss at least 75 more at-bats. So let’s look at a combination of players the Yankees can trade for for a .300 average and one HR per 10 at-bats.
The San Francisco Giants are interested in taking offers for left fielder Joc Pederson. The 31-year-old is hitting .281 in June with three home runs in 64 at-bats. He would be a good start and a relatively inexpensive acquisition.
Another intriguing option might be tricky to pull off. The Toronto Blue Jays (44-37) are fourth in the AL East. Despite a .543 winning percentage, the talent in the deep division is proving too much for them to overcome. Matt Chapman, their 30-year-old third baseman, is an unrestricted free agent after this season. Chapman, who has a slash line of .265/.343/.800 with 10 HR, could start over aging Josh Donaldson at third.
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