Even with Luke Voit on the roster, the Yankees could be looking to make an upgrade at first base in 2022. And, according to reports, they may have their eyes set on one of last year’s most prolific home run hitters.
According to multiple reports, including SNY’s Andy Martino and MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Yanks have interest in trading for Oakland’s Matt Olson, as the A’s appear to be heading towards a fire sale, as part of their seemingly regular purge of quality players soon to be seeking paychecks.
Brendan Kuty of NJ.com has reported that the Yanks have had “internal discussions” about adding the prolific lefty power bat.
Olson, 27, smacked 39 home runs in 2021, and batted .271 with a robust 153 OPS+ across 565 at-bats, food for a 5.8 WAR on the season. He has also been mostly durable since finding regular playing time in 2018, playing all 162 games that season, all 60 games in 2020 and 156 games this past season, when he earned his first All-Star selection.
That could appeal to the Yankees, who watched Voit, 2020’s home run leader, land on the IL four different times after battling through a core injury in the second half of the 2019 season, and a foot injury in 2020.
Olson also has added intrigue, as he isn’t a free agent until 2024. He is arbitration eligible this season and will be in line for a raise after the season he had, but he only made $5 million last season.
The Yankees would likely have to part with some high-profile pieces to pull in Olson, but Oakland appears ready for another teardown, and the two teams, with mutual respect between Billy Beane and Brian Cashman, have trade history, as the two clubs made a deal that brought Sonny Gray to the Bronx in 2017.
Anthony Rizzo is another first base candidate for the Yanks if they elect to go the free agency route. Rizzo was a trade deadline acquisition for New York this summer, and has stated his desire to remain in pinstripes.
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