Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesNew York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman confirmed Thursday the team plans to make Aaron Judge its everyday center fielder after acquiring right fielder Juan Soto in a trade on Wednesday.
According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Aaron Boone initially said on Wednesday he was "OK" with Judge being the team's everyday center fielder after he played 18 games in center last season.
Two years ago during Judge's American League MVP campaign, he played 78 games in center field, which marked the most extensive action of his MLB career at the position.
It was done out of necessity due to a lack of quality options for much of the season, but the acquisition of Harrison Bader allowed Judge to play right field more often in 2023.
Judge manned right field 54 times last season and was a designated hitter on 38 occasions, compared to just 18 appearances in center field.
Bader's presence played a role in that breakdown, as did the fact that a toe injury limited Judge to 106 games.
There was some thought that the Yankees would perhaps try to limit Judge's time in center field in 2024 due to his injury issues last season, but that seemingly won't be the case moving forward with the newly acquired Soto and Alex Verdugo in the fold.
Judge is best known for his prolific power, which saw him hit an AL-record 62 home runs in 2022, but he is also a plus outfield with an extremely strong arm, meaning he is more than capable of manning center field.
The Yankees simply didn't have enough consistent offensive production around Judge last season en route to going a disappointing 82-80, and while acquiring Soto will force Judge into a regular center-field role, it is a move the Yanks have to make if they want to maximize the potential of their lineup.
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