Yankees Strike Again With Stanton Acquisition 

By Rich Mancuso/Sports Editor 

Call them “The Evil Empire.” Respect the New York Yankees as the franchise that always gets the best player because they have the resources. In acquiring Giancarlo Stanton Saturday from the Miami Marlins shows the Yankees did strike again.

And to get the reigning National League MVP, it did not cost GM Brian Cashman much to strike again. Starlin Castro became expendable with the Yankees ready to bring up prospect Gleyber Torres. The other prospects, Jorge Guzman and Jose Devers, will be remembered as the fill-in players in what could be the offseason trade of the year.

Derek Jeter, part-owner of the South Beach Marlins, may have been the Yankees connection that made this deal possible. And with the salary dump going on down in Miami, Stanton became expendable. The Yankees will pick up $265 million of the $295 million owed on Stanton’s lucrative contract.

The Yankees as always could pull it off. Not the Cardinals nor any other team — and including the crosstown Mets who are no longer the talk of the town when it comes to baseball teams in New York — could have pulled off the Stanton trade.

One baseball executive said Saturday, “What wins is pitching and the Yankees would have been the favorites to win even without Stanton.”  However, with Giancarlo Stanton in the Bronx, and in the same lineup as Aaron Judge, the two combined can hit well over 100 home runs.

The last time the Yankees had a duo like that it was with the “M & M Boys,” Maris and Mantle, in 1961. And that was in the old Yankee Stadium, so envision what this will be come next season in the Bronx.

Stanton and Judge, with Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird sandwiched in between, makes this New York Yankees lineup pretty darn good and dangerous.

That same executive said about the Yankees acquisition for Stanton. “It’s like winning the lottery. It really precipitates a lot of other moves. Amazing they did not give up a lot to get him.”

The Yankees have all the tools needed on the mound. That is, assuming CC Sabathia is re-signed, and that appears almost certain.  

Powerful enough to overtake the original Murderers Row and establish all-time records for home runs and important runs scored, makes the Yankees a team to be considered now as the team to take it all in 2018.

Perhaps this is jumping the gun, because baseball is a 162-game season, and there is that possibility that the injury-prone Stanton could miss some games. Judge is coming off shoulder surgery and you never know what will happen during the long season.

And there is that tendency of Judge and Stanton striking out, as they often do. But these power hitters also get on base with the walk and the hit when they are not swinging for the fences.

Where and how Aaron Boone, the new manager plays them will be determined. Does Stanton DH or play in left?  Do Judge and Stanton bat back-to-back? Boone has that task and comes into a good situation as the rookie manager.

Keep in mind that Stanton can opt out of his contract and assume free agency after getting $77 million over the next three years but there is also that tendency of every Yankee is in a good situation and Stanton will stay here in a market that is made for him.

They are saying Judge’s Chambers in right and now it is Stanton, or Staten Island in left for the New York Yankees. What matters more is GM Brian Cashman pulled it off again and the Yankees struck again after hitting a club record 241 home runs this past season.

Then again, the Yankees always get their man even if pitching wins ballgames.

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