After what went down in 2023, the New York Yankees have been planning big moves to secure a perfect lineup for the 2024 season. Apart from their rumored chase after free-agency mammoths like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, they are also predicted to make a trade-in on Juan Soto. It seems like the Yankees might have a backup plan to fall back on if the Padres trade doesn’t work out.
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The Plan B slugger in question is none other than Charlie Blackmon, the four-time MLB All-Star and outfielder of the Colorado Rockies. A free-agency draft is out of the question for him as of now because he recently signed a contract with his current team. But if Soto exits the equation, will Blackmon be a good fit for the Bronx Bombers?
Charlie Blackmon: A perfect contingency plan for the New York Yankees?
Charlie Blackmon signed a contract in September 2023 for a year-long term with the Colorado Rockies for a sum of $13 million, per AP News. He is a left-handed outfielder, just like his prospective Yankees competitor, Juan Soto. His previous extension contract of $94 million for a six-year term signed in 2018 took place after he secured the NL Batting title the previous year with a BA of .331.
Although a veteran in the game, Blackmon can still produce numbers in the batter’s box. Although 2023 was hampered by a fractured hand, the slugger still had a 0.296 batting average and 40 RBIs. If the Yankees manage to secure him, he will get both a better deal and a better team to play for in the future.
Blackmon and his Yankees’ future
Charlie Blackmon was predicted to make $2 million more on his contract for this year by USA Today. Considering the New York Yankees’ ability to afford high-range players, his salary can vary anywhere from $15 million to $20 million a year. Which is comparatively much lower than Soto’s projected salary of $33 million for the next year in his current team.
Compared to Soto’s record of 156 hits with 97 RBIs and an OPS of .930 across 162 games, “Chuck Nazty” shows why he will be a perfect replacement if the former does not get to be a Yankee the following season. We have to depend on time to give us the final answer on whom the Pinstripes choose to enroll in their team.
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