3 Aaron Judge replacements the Yankees should already have an eye on
By Tim Boyle
New York Yankees Aaron Judge replacement candidate: Shohei Ohtani
The Yankees don’t have to travel far from trade talks for Trout to find another Judge replacement. Shohei Ohtani, while not exactly an exact replacement for Judge, can help the Yankees forget all about him—eventually.
Ohtani is younger, probably healthier, and the most unique player in sports right now. His ability to pitch at a high level will give the Yankees the power they’ve grown accustomed to receiving from Judge. His pitching would give them an ace-quality arm to pair up with Gerrit Cole.
Maybe the biggest obstacle in a potential trade for Ohtani would be the existence of Giancarlo Stanton. He has been pretty much relegated to DH duties since joining the Yankees. Could he exist with Ohtani on the same roster?
Judge is incomparable this year but so is Ohtani—every year. He feels like someone this organization will at least consider pursuing if he does reach free agency after the 2023 season. This is another cause for concern. Would the Yankees be better off just waiting to see if he becomes available and spend the money rather than give up a haul of prospects?
There is no exact replacement out there for the Yankees to ever replace Judge. Ohtani would at least give them something no one else has.