Giancarlo Stanton is dealing with tennis elbow, and to Sal Licata, this is just another in a long line of wonders how Stanton went from MVP and Gold Glover in Miami to immobile and injury-prone as a Yankee.
“I just don’t understand how a guy who was in as great a physical condition as him – like, he may be the greatest physical specimen that has ever set foot on the baseball field – is always hurt,” Sal said.
“That’s gotta come from lifting; the fact that it seems to be symmetrical, like it's not like it's one where it was just from throwing or a different leverage point when swinging,” BT said, “but yeah, he does. He looks like a Greek God, but my line was, ‘he looks like Zeus and plays like ass.’”
That’s a joke, of course, because BT knows that Stanton, for all his injury faults, never shies away from the spotlight, good or bad.
“He had a great October again, and I really do respect Stanton because the one thing about him, besides rising up in October, is he’s very accountable,” BT said. “He doesn’t hide, he stands at the locker whether he’s hurt or healthy, in a 1-for-20 slump or went 3-for-4 with two bombs. He’s always the same, emotionally reliable, and accountable, and I respect that.”
But now that we’re already dealing with the possible Stanton absence and it’s only February, BT wonders if something has to give with the Yankees’ lineup and roster construction.
“Thankfully, I don't think they're gonna be counting on him quite as much to start the year, but I wonder if maybe this incentivizes them to more aggressively pursue somebody like Arenado,” BT said. “He is what he is: always hurt.”
“But don’t you think that’s why you and I had this conversation before last season, after they missed the postseason, to move on and get rid of Stanton?” Sal replied. “That would have been symbolic of the change they needed, and we know he had some big moments, but it’s bigger than just that – he is a problem! Now, maybe he's relied upon less, but you can't say that this year without Juan Soto, because they’re gonna need his power in that lineup. Not every day, and you account for him missing four to six weeks every season, but I think they need him even more now. He clogs up a spot when he's there because he can’t play the field, he can’t run the bases, he’s always hurt…Giancarlo Stanton is a problem for the Yankees.”
All BT could do in response was agree, and wonder what could be.
“Yeah, and he's been a problem for a while, I hear you, and I think it’s gonna be maybe a little bit more of an issue this year because the Yankees are more lefty-dependent,” BT said. “Cashman finally figured it out to get some lefty sticks for a 314-foot fence, brilliant! But he kind of balances that out with righty pop. But the way his body is built, he’s going to be inactive for a while, and when he does ramp up, does his body cooperate, or does he have some sort of other soft tissue thing?
“The fact that he hasn’t swung a bat in three or four weeks, how is he going to be ready for opening day?” Sal replied. “Again, does he need to be ready for opening day, minimizing the regular season, of course plays into it, but what are you doing? It’s not a good way to start the year; it’s not gonna make or break their year, and I know people will still say they want him in the postseason, but I would want to move on from him. A couple of home runs in October aren't gonna get me to change my mind on that.”