Fragile Giancarlo Stanton appears to be a bad investment for Yankees
Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton at spring training in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 18. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
TAMPA -- The meter continues to run on Giancarlo Stanton, even when he can’t, and that’s where the Yankees find themselves again with their hobbled $325-million outfielder after a Grade 1 calf strain has now made him doubtful for Opening Day.
The Yankees paid Stanton roughly $361,111 per plate appearance last season, give or take a few bucks, and were rewarded with more injuries (four) than home runs (three). Stanton played in only 18 games during the regular season, and when he finally did make his playoff cameo, going deep in Game 1 of the ALCS, he immediately hurt himself again by sustaining a right quad strain.
Typically, the great thing about the offseason is the chance for players like Stanton to rest, to heal, to eat better, train more efficiently, and show up at spring training in the best shape of their lives. It sounded like Stanton did all that, too.
So you would think he’d make it to at least March before suffering some type of injury again, right? Instead, Stanton picked up where he left off last October, and suffered the calf strain during defensive drills toward the end of Tuesday’s workout.
Stanton didn’t think it was a “big deal,” according to manager Aaron Boone, but when he showed up Wednesday morning, the Yankees sent him to get checked out and an MRI revealed the strain. On the bright side, Stanton’s doing better than Luis Severino and James Paxton. He’s not scheduled for surgery anytime soon.
But when a player spends more time in an MRI tube than the batter’s box, it raises serious questions about their future productivity. Stanton being hurt is now his default position. That’s not an unfair criticism. It’s a fact. And until Stanton proves otherwise, he’ll wear this injury-prone label along with the pinstripes.
When Boone was asked point-blank Wednesday if there are some players who just can’t stay healthy, he couldn’t deny it. The manager was speaking generally. It wasn’t specifically about Stanton. But it also sort of was. Draw your own conclusions.
“You can always look back and say that eventually,” Boone said. “I think, sure, some guys are more durable and the gamut’s large, right? Everyone’s DNA and anatomy is a little bit different. I know the timing of it, and around Sevy, and what he went through last year. But hopefully this is just a small bump that doesn’t slow him much.”
Boone can dream, but Stanton’s recent history suggests otherwise. Last year, Stanton initially suffered a left biceps strain, then developed left calf tightness, then a right knee sprain, then a serious bruise of that same knee before getting the playoff quad strain. With the Yankees’ medical staff under siege for the club’s dizzying number of injuries, Stanton stood out for coming apart in so many different places.
Listed at 6-6, 245 pounds, Stanton looks rock-solid, like a jacked-up linebacker better at inflicting punishment than absorbing it. But baseball’s daily grind can be unforgiving to some bigger players, and getting older doesn’t help. Stanton turned 30 in November, and pulling up with calf strain on what should have been a relatively easy Tuesday morning at the complex -- the Yankees travel squad played in Dunedin -- doesn’t say much for his ability to withstand wear-and-tear.
Stanton, like his teammates, should be at peak physical condition right now. The only part of their preparation missing this time of year is baseball reps, which is what the Grapefruit League is for. And Stanton already is a tentative scratch for Opening Day, when the meter starts running again.
All told, the Yankees owe Stanton $214 million through 2027, and I think we can all agree that he’s not opting out after this season. Marlins CEO Derek Jeter threw in $30 million to complete the trade, which at the time seemed like a favorable swap for both sides. Jeter actually took some heat for the (off-base) perception that he did his former Bronx buddies while dumping all that cash and Cashman was lauded for restoring the Evil Empire brand after being snubbed by Shohei Otani.
Frankly, I liked the trade back then. Pairing Stanton with Aaron Judge, coming off his own 52-homer season, felt like the perfect amount of overkill, especially after the crushing ALCS to the Astros. Right after the Stanton trade, ticket sales spiked in the Bronx, as did the YES ratings. Not only was Judge must-see TV, combining him with Stanton attracted even more eyeballs.
But Stanton doesn’t do the Yankees any good when he’s not on the field, and they’re stuck with the bill just the same. Just when everyone was eager to write off last year for Stanton as a string of unfortunate bounces, the calf strain bites him two weeks into spring training.
After a while, it’s not bad luck anymore. It’s a bad investment.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
