The New York Yankees face the challenge of rebuilding most of their outfield this offseason. With Cody Bellinger opting out of his contract and Trent Grisham expected to decline his qualifying offer, two outfield spots are available. Aaron Judge currently holds one position, but replacing two-thirds of the outfield in one offseason could be difficult.
The Yankees will have numerous options this winter including free agents and potential trades. Anthony McCarron of SNY speculates that the team might acquire Steven Kwan in a trade.
“Spencer for Steven, even up: Schooled by the Jays all year, including in October, the Yanks nab something from Toronto’s playbook and add non-strikeout, plus-contact offense to their roster via trade by dangling top prospect Spencer Jones,” McCarron wrote while listing bold predictions for SNY.
According to McCarron, Kwan would be a perfect leadoff hitter and is considered the best defensive left fielder in baseball. He fits the needs of Yankee Stadium’s spacious left field, which requires strong defensive coverage.
Kwan struck out in only 8.7% of his plate appearances last season, well below the MLB average of 22.5%. In contrast, the Yankees had the sixth-highest strikeout rate in MLB at 23.5%. This low strikeout rate would address a significant team weakness.
Rumors have circulated for about a year regarding prospect Spencer Jones, who the Yankees may trade to add key pieces such as Kwan.
The Yankees are likely to revamp their outfield this winter, with a smart trade for Steven Kwan possibly improving both offense and defense in their lineup.