One of the biggest needs the Yankees must address this offseason is their outfield depth. This has been an ongoing problem. Most recently, New York has been connected to free agent Cody Bellinger. However, one player they seem to also be interested in is Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Manuel Margot. I think the Yankees would be making a mistake if they traded Tampa for him.

The Yankees Don’t Need Anymore Players With Durability Issues

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Last season, the New York Yankees were essentially a traveling mash unit. They had many key players spend time on the injured list including Aaron Judge. Manuel Margot has spent the past two seasons missing extended amounts of time due to injuries. It’s been three years since he last played in over 120 games. The last thing the Yankees need is to bring in another player who has had a recent extensive injury history.

Margot Is A Below Average Hitter

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The Yankees had one of the worst offenses in baseball last year. It was so bad that they fired their hitting coach mid-season. In his career, Margot has been a below-average hitter. Margot has very little power and the most amount of RBI he’s had in a season is 57. He also has a career OPS of .694 and an OPS+ of 91. Margot has put up these numbers in Tampa where people don’t care and fan pressure is non-existent. In a place like New York where the fans are breathing on you, those numbers aren’t acceptable. Margot is also a right-handed hitter and the Yankees already have too many of those players in their lineup. The Yankees need someone who’s been a solid contributor offensively in their career, Margot doesn’t meet that requirement.

The Rays Trap Couldn’t Be More Obvious

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Whenever the Rays are willing to trade someone who’s been a regular in the line-up, buyer beware! This means that they’ve squeezed all the value out of the player. We’ve seen countless teams get fleeced by Tampa when their performance declines rapidly. Whoever the Rays are interested in acquiring, odds are they’ll be great contributors to Tampa in the future. Brian Cashman needs to know that the Rays trap can be seen all the way from Yankee Stadium. Trading for Margot has the makings of another Josh Donaldson-like disaster all over again.

The Yankees Can’t Take Any Chances With Their Offense

While the Yankees need outfield help, acquiring Manuel Margot isn’t the answer. He would be a disaster in pinstripes. Brian Cashman shouldn’t even be wasting time discussing Margot with the Rays. Margot would be coming from a market that has absolutely no pressure and would not do well at all in New York. The Yankees can’t afford to take any chances on players looking to bounce back. Decisions like these are one of the reasons why October baseball wasn’t seen in the Bronx last year.

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Eric Katz

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