With the expected departure of Paul Goldschmidt, Ben Rice will take over the first base duties for the New York Yankees.
As things stand, manager Aaron Boone has just one player he could use at the position on days Rice catches or is the designated hitter: third-string catcher J.C. Escarra, who made just six appearances at first base in 2025.
According to Gary Phillips of the Daily News, Boone plans to have versatile infielder Amed Rosario take first base reps this offseason to become a viable option at the position.
Rosario, a shaky defender at shortstop and second base, signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Yankees last Friday after playing 16 games for the AL East club last season.
The Yankees need additional right-handed bats
At MLB's Winter Meetings, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman acknowledged that the Yankees' lineup is too left-handed heavy.
"I acknowledge that we are left-handed dominant throughout our lineup,” Cashman told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. “So, to get more choices for our manager would be a great thing for us to do.”
Rosario crushed left-handed pitching last year, splitting time between the Washington Nationals and Yankees. If he can develop natural skills at first base, he could turn into an instrumental bench player and reliable pinch hitter.
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