Yankees Linked to Silver Slugger Winner as Possible Oswald Pereza Replacement

Getty The Yankees are a little thin on infield depth after Oswald Peraza's shoulder injury. Could Donovan Solano find his way to the Bronx?

The New York Yankees are entering 2024 with high expectations. After a disappointing 82-80 record in 2023, they’re projected to easily win the American League East and return to the playoffs. Their journey won’t come without bumps in the road, though. Could free agent infielder Donovan Solano be a solution to their current problem?

Oswald Peraza could’ve served as the primary backup to shortstop Anthony Volpe and third baseman DJ LeMahieu on the left side of manager Aaron Boone’s infield. Those plans took a hit on March 9, according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “Aaron Boone says that Oswald Peraza will be shut down for 6-8 weeks with a subscapularis strain in his right shoulder,” he said on X (formerly Twitter).

Will the Yankees fill this hole internally or find an external solution? San Francisco Giants infielder J.D. Davis could be an option if he falls to them via waivers. Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News floated three other possible options. “A couple UTL types still available in free agency: Donovan Solano, Jean Segura and Adalberto Mondesí,” he said on X. “Solano (110 OPS+ over career-high 134 G last year) is the best hitter of that bunch. He & Segura haven’t played much SS in recent years.”

What Solano Could Bring to the Yankees

Solano has spent 10 years in the big leagues with five different teams. After breaking in with the Miami Marlins from 2012-15, the right-handed hitter actually appeared in nine games for the Yankees in 2016. He posted a .715 OPS in 23 plate appearances. Solano then spent two years in the minors. The infielder played in the Yankees organization during 2017 and in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization during 2018.

He landed with the Giants in 2019, which is when things started to click. During his three-year run with the club, Solano hit .308/.354/.435 with 14 home runs, 45 doubles, 83 RBI and 84 runs scored across 775 plate appearances. This included a .326/.365/.463 triple slash in 2020, which led to him winning a Silver Slugger Award.

Solano spent 2023 with the Minnesota Twins, racking up career-high marks in games played (134) and plate appearances (450). He slugged five homers with 26 doubles, 38 RBI and 43 runs scored while slashing .282/.369/.391.

How Could Expectations Impact New York’s Reaction?

Phillips noted that while Solano has experience playing shortstop, it’s been a while since he did it regularly. The last time Solano has manned the position at all was in 2021 for six innings. The last time he played shortstop for a significant chunk of innings was in 2019 for the Giants. He racked up 144 innings at that spot on the diamond.

What Solano has accumulated playing time at other positions, though. He’s appeared at first base, second base and third base at various times since the start of 2022. So, his hypothetical inclusion on New York’s roster would seemingly be valuable based on his defensive versatility and ability to put the ball in play.

The Yankees are expected to bounce back from a rough 2023. They not only want to return to the postseason, but the club also needs to get ready to try and retain outfielder Juan Soto once he hits free agency in November. How could this pressure dictate what general manager Brian Cashman does to fill a potential void?

There are internal options available. But if New York wants to supplement from outside the organization, someone like Solano makes sense. While he hasn’t played shortstop recently, he could man second base and Gleyber Torres could slide over, depending on what the situation is. After all, Torres was a top shortstop prospect as he came up through the minor leagues.

It’s at least only March. The Yankees have time to figure out how they will navigate this situation without rushing to make a decision.