MLB News Roundup: Aaron Judge could switch to LF, Yordan Alvarez joins camp with sore left hand and more - February 22 2023

The New York Yankees are considering using Aaron Judge in left field to give Giancarlo Stanton more time in right field, with the aim of enhancing the latter's performance.

Stanton believes that playing in the outfield allows him to be more in tune with the game, which is why the Yankees are considering moving him from the DH role to the outfield for some games.

Stanton was primarily used as a DH due to injury last season, but Judge believes he has the potential to be a good outfielder, and Boone is "at least considering" the move. Boone, however, is concerned about putting Stanton in Yankee Stadium's more spacious left field.

Judge has never played left field in the majors, but he is open to the idea of switching to accommodate Stanton. This could also help alleviate the infield mix, with Josh Donaldson possibly taking on the DH role more frequently.

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Former NY Yankees slugger signs for the Milwaukee Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers have signed former New York Yankees slugger Luke Voit to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Voit had a batting line of .226/.308/.402 with 22 home runs and 69 RBIs in 135 games between the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals last season.

He was involved in a trade between the Nationals and Padres in 2022, which saw Juan Soto and Josh Bell join the Nationals. Voit has played in 486 games across four different teams in the MLB, but had his best season with the Yankees in 2020, hitting 22 home runs and 52 RBIs with a batting line of .277/.338/.610.

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Yordan Alvarez comes into camp with left-hand discomfort

Yordan Alvarez is dealing with disconfort in his left hand

Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is dealing with discomfort in his left hand and will not be able to participate in batting practice during the first few days of spring training. Álvarez said that the injury got worse during the off-season and that he will need a few days before facing pitchers.

He suffered a similar injury to his right-hand last year, which led to him being placed on the injured list in July. Despite his injury, he hit .306 with 37 home runs and 97 RBIs in the regular season and finished third in voting for the American League Most Valuable Player Award.

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Manny Machado: Top priority for the San Diego Padres

Manny Machado is top priority for the Padres

San Diego Padres star third baseman Manny Machado reiterated his commitment to the team despite planning to opt out of his contract after the 2023 season. Although negotiations have not begun, Padres owner Peter Seidler made it clear that Machado is his top priority.

"I really hesitate to talk about hypothetical situations, whether it's with a free-agent player or one of our own. I will say: Manny is my top priority.”

Machado has the option to opt out of the remaining five years and $150 million on the 10-year contract he signed in 2019. It's unclear whether Machado will be willing to negotiate during the season, as he set a deadline for a deal to be completed before the start of camp. The Padres appear to be open to in-season talks.

Manager A.J. Preller said that Machado is always a priority for him and the organization. The Padres have already committed long-term dollars to Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Joe Musgrove, and Yu Darvish, and will put forth a franchise-record payroll in 2023.

For more on Manny Machado’s opt-out decition: https://www.sportskeeda.com/baseball/news-mlb-analyst-feels-manny-machado-right-decision-opting-free-agency-post-2023-season-most-valuable-padre