I'd bring Giancarlo Stanton to camp without reserving the designated hitter job for him. The Yankees can give a familiar slugger a chance to earn at-bats without building another offense around the hope that his body cooperates.
The cost of that hope has changed. Ben Rice now needs a substantial place in the lineup, and Aaron Judge's availability deserves more thought than assuming he can handle the same assignment every day. Stanton isn't competing for an empty spot anymore.
Rice started 95 games at designated hitter and 53 at first base this season. He hit 41 home runs with an .897 OPS. Treating DH as a job waiting for Stanton would ignore both the offense Rice supplied and how the club actually used him.
Stanton played 24 regular-season games, hitting .256/.302/.422 with three homers. Twenty-four games can't establish what he can provide over a full year, and they certainly don't justify putting somebody else's productive at-bats behind his comeback.
Judge, meanwhile, appeared in 66 games. Using DH to reduce some of his outfield work is a reasonable option to examine, not a promise that it will prevent another injury. The Yankees should retain the ability to make that choice when their medical staff and the schedule call for it.
Sep 29, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Ben Rice (22) high fives designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) after defeating the Boston Red Sox in game one of the Wildcard round of the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Bryan Hoch's Friday offseason assessment left Stanton's role unsettled. The Yankees haven't supplied a final 2027 alignment, and there is no verified trade or release to write as though it's already coming.
A healthy Stanton who is hitting can still make the decision difficult. The workable version would include selected starts, useful pinch-hit opportunities and more first-base work for Rice when the complete lineup supports it. Nobody should reject production just to prove a point about age or last season.
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But that has to be earned through current health and current results. The Yankees shouldn't promise the workload first and then spend the spring trying to fit Rice and Judge around it. Moving Rice to first more often also requires evaluating the defense and the other players competing for that position; it isn't a free solution to every crowded lineup.
Stanton's past power gives the club a reason to keep looking for a useful contribution. It doesn't give him first choice of the assignment that could help protect Judge and keep Rice's bat available.
For once, let the everyday plan work without a Stanton comeback. If he earns his way into it, the Yankees can make room for actual production instead of reserving room for a possibility.
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