Aaron Judge should NOT be Yankees center fielder, even with Juan Soto arriving, warns New York’s ex-batting coach Sean Casey: ‘The wear and tear on his body – I don’t like it’
- Juan Soto was acquired by the Yankees in a seven-player deal with the Padres
- The Yankees have overall talent in the outfield, but are not a true center fielder
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Former New York Yankees hitting coach and Major League Baseball first baseman Sean Casey believes acquiring Juan Soto puts Aaron Judge in a less than ideal situation.
'No. I don't want Judgie as my center fielder,” Casey said. “I just think the midfield is so demanding, dude, it's so demanding, and he's such a big guy.”
'And to require him to go so far into the gaps and on the run, you have to cover more ground as a midfielder. I don't like the wear and tear on his body,” Casey continued.
“But I don't like Judgie in the middle, I really don't,” Casey said. “I don't think Yankees manager Aaron Boone does either.”
Judge has played in right field for most of his tenure with the Yankees, much like Soto. The Yankees also have Giancarlo Stanton and acquired Alex Verdugo in Wednesday's seven-player trade with the San Diego Padres.
Former Yankees hitting coach Sean Casey doesn't want Aaron Judge to play center field
The 6-foot-1 righty has been a right fielder for virtually his entire professional career thus far
Traditionally, the Yankees have wanted a defensively sound center fielder with how much ground there is to make up in the holes per Yankee Stadium definitions, which is uniquely consistent between the foul poles.
With one of New York's outfield quartets taking over as design hitter, there is no longer room for a defensive first player in the outfield, which Judge, Soto, Verdugo and Stanton are.
The righty is 1.80 meters tall and will turn 32 in April. These are not exactly traditional characteristics for a successful midfielder.
“We'll see how everything works out this winter, but yes, I wouldn't rule that out,” Boone said on Wednesday about Judge's takeover in midfield.
“I talked to Aaron about that. I think Aaron is open to anything and ready for anything. So we'll see,” Boone continued. “You never know where the rest of the winter will go, but Aaron in the middle will definitely play a role.”