Yankees fans express concern as Aaron Judge expected to play a lot of center field if team lands Juan Soto

The New York Yankees' decision to acquire Juan Soto might have larger implications on the outfield as Aaron Judge is expected to move from his preferred left-field position to center field. Considering the list of injuries Judge sustained last year, some fans are worried about the situation.

The Center Field position is a demanding one as at the heart of the outfield, fielders have to cover a lot of ground. Along with the ability to judge flyballs right from the bat, they have to be agile and have a good throwing arm to cover any distance be it home, second or third base.

Aaron Judge suffered a major injury mid-way through 2023 in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers when he slammed his foot against the wall at the Dodger Stadium which resulted him in being placed on the Injury List for almost two months. He also had a number of minor hamstring injuries that reduced his playing time considerably.

If the Yanks acquire Juan Soto, then naturally, he will slot in left field which would mean Judge will have to shift to the Center Field position, which currently New York doesn't have a lot of options for.

Yankees fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to voice their concern:

Horrible decision," one fan said.

Another fan wrote, "I worry about his health in CF. Scary trying to make the diving plays."

Here are a few other reactions on X:

Why Juan Soto is the best fit for the New York Yankees

For a player that is valued at $33 million in his year of arbitration, only big-money clubs can afford to sign someone like Juan Soto. Furthermore, the Yanks are a bit short-staffed in the outfield department as they lack several high-profile impact players.

Add to that the incentive of having a left-handed at-bat in Soto, it will immensely help the club as they got only 55 home runs from left-handed batters in 2023. Soto alone hit 35 homers in the year.