Hot Stove! The Hot Corner!

Here is probably the cheeriest conundrum for Yankees fans to contemplate headed into 2020:  what to do about third base?  The options are...hard for even Cooperstown Cashman to screw up.

First, we have to give Coops his props.  Gio was a revelation, in the field AND at the plate.  Even during an injury-hampered October, he managed two home runs in the ALCS, and we all would much rather have seen him up there at any given time than, say, Sancho, who so often looked like a blindfolded man trying to fight off bees.

And behind Urshela, of course...is El Matador, Miguel Andujar, the best natural hitter to make this tea in a long time, and your 2018 Rookie of the Year, save for rank Yankee hatred.

Of course, we don't know just what El Matador will bring after a devastating injury and a year off.  But if he's anything close to his former self at the plate, the options are delicious.


What I Would Do:  If his once-strong arm is back, I say put AnDUjar in left field, thereby shoring up an outfield that figures to be one of the Yanks' big weaknesses next season.

If it's not back, give him a first baseman's glove, and have him spell Mike Ford.  And, oh yeah, there will be plenty of room at DH during the 50-150 games Giancarlo is likely to miss out on because of hangnails, toe blisters, and paper cuts.

Having him back, if he is back, will be an enormous addition.  And even if Gio reverts a bit to the mean, we'll still have a terrific glove and a pretty good hitter at the third sack.

WWCCD?  As mentioned, it's hard even for Coops to screw this one up.  His normal inclination would probably be to trade Miggy for some overrated starter "with a strong arm."  But considering the injury, I doubt if he can pull that off.

And Gio is one of Coops' pick-ups—players he always likes to have out there (and will even foolishly reacquire if necessary, looking at you Nick and Javier) to show what a genius he is.