{"id":10912,"date":"2024-12-15T02:01:08","date_gmt":"2024-12-15T02:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=10912"},"modified":"2024-12-15T02:01:08","modified_gmt":"2024-12-15T02:01:08","slug":"breaking-yankees-predicted-to-sign-ex-rival-slugger-to-fill-outfield-hole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=10912","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Yankees Predicted to Sign Ex-Rival Slugger to Fill Outfield Hole"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The New York Yankees have been predicted to sign an elite slugger to replace Juan Soto.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Sep 24, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander (25) hits a solo home run during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images \/ Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images<\/div>\n
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With Juan Soto now out of town (well, not exactly), the\u00a0New York Yankees\u00a0need somebody to replace him in right field next season.<\/p>\n

They were in pursuit of a trade for former Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker before Tucker ended up\u00a0getting traded to the Chicago Cubs instead.<\/p>\n

This means the Yankees must look elsewhere for another outfielder and middle-of-the-lineup offensive presence. And according to a December 13\u00a0article from Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller, former Baltimore Orioles slugger Anthony Santander would be the perfect fit.<\/p>\n

“Prediction: 5 years, $100M to the New York Yankees,” Miller wrote for Santander’s free agency forecast.<\/p>\n

“It’s going to be quite the drop from Soto’s .419 on-base percentage to Santander’s career mark of .307 in that department, but a switch-hitting right fielder who clubbed 44 home runs last season is about as good of a plan for replacing Soto as there could be,” he wrote.<\/p>\n

“Santander is no one-year wonder in the slugging department, either. Since the start of 2022, only Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso and Matt Olson have hit more dingers than Santander’s 105.<\/p>\n

“He has done some real damage at Yankee Stadium, too, with three home runs there in 2024 alone. And if he had played exclusively at Yankee Stadium over the past three seasons,\u00a0Baseball Savant suggests\u00a0he would have hit 113 home runs instead of 105,” Miller continued.<\/p>\n

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