But even despite that, landing Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson will certainly give their infield a boost. They got a massive defensive upgrade at shortstop and a former MVP a third baseman, although he won’t come without injury risk.

The Bronx Bombers now have a bit of a logjam at the infield, making Luke Voit the odd man out in their lineup. That’s why the San Diego Padres are reportedly looking to make a move for him, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:

MLB Rumors: Padres Are Interested In Luke Voit

“The signing of free-agent first basemen Anthony Rizzo gives the Yankees five infielders — Rizzo, Donaldson, Kiner-Falefa, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu — for four spots,” Rosenthal said.”The depth not only should prove useful if Donaldson again deals with leg issues, but also will enable the team to trade first baseman Luke Voit, who projects to earn $5.4 million in arbitration. The Yankees are speaking with clubs about Voit, and the Padres — one of the losers in the Freeman sweepstakes — are among the teams interested, sources said.”

“A hypothetical Voit acquisition would strengthen a lineup that is thin on middle-of-the-order firepower after Fernando Tatis Jr.’s most recent injury,”Sean Bavazzano of MLB Trade Rumors said.“Projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $5.4MM in arbitration, Voit would also prove eminently affordable for a Padres club that’s about $10MM of payroll shy of incurring luxury tax-related penalties. That projected arbitration figure likely appeals to a handful of clubs, but for a San Diego team saddled with pricy contracts and limited free agent options, a displaced Voit may prove to be their best bet at improving team offense without emptying the farm or wallets.”

The Yankees sure need to make some moves to keep up with the rest of the powerhouses in the AL, while the Padres will be thirsty for revenge after a disappointing campaign last season, so we expect both teams to be quite aggressive to try and get a deal done as soon as possible.

But, as it’s happened with the Yankees lately, it seems like solving a problem just creates another for them. Instead of trying to land Trevor Story, they had to send Luke Voit to the bench despite being one of the best players on the team in recent years.

That’s why it’s kind of strange to see General Manager Brian Cashman – the same guy who traded with the Chicago Cubs for Rizzo – say that the team is being unfair to Voit by demoting him to a bench role.

Brian Cashman Says Yankees Are Being Unfair To Luke Voit

“He’s kind of like the NFL starting quarterback where he goes down early in the year, but by the time he gets back the position is now gone,” the General Manager said during an interview for Sirius/XM’s MLB Network Radio.

“Luke Voit has been out all year with injuries,” Cashman said. “He’s unfortunately caught up in our obvious attempt to upgrade this roster and it’s unfair to him, but I was staring a decision of do I wait until he knocks the rust off or take the opportunity that’s in front of me acquiring Rizzo that really fits us?”

Cashman Says Injuries Took A Toll On Voit

“Obviously, the injuries have taken its toll this year and thankfully he’s healthy,” the executive added. “We all know what Luke Voit is capable of as a hitter. He’s a masher. He’s on base with power. Obviously he was the home run champion in the American League last year and has impacted us in such a positive way for so many times.”

“This guy obviously can help us. The lane that used to be so obvious currently isn’t there, so obviously we are a lot deeper with everything we have. We have more choices, more protection because of it, but unfortunately right now he’s going to get some at-bats and do what he does best (in rehab games), which is crush it, and then we’ll see how he’s going to fit as we move forward,” he concluded.

Voit has spent plenty of time on the shelf this season due to multiple injuries but it’s not like he was the issue with the Yankees. Obviously, adding a star like Rizzo is always exciting for fans, but maybe that wasn’t what the team needed to make the postseason. Or maybe they should’ve tried to trade Voit as well.

The Yankees’ offense has been firing at all cylinders since the start of the postseason and kept it going with an impressive effort on a 5-1 win in Game 4 to force a win-or-go-home matchup at Petco Park on Friday night.

And perhaps the best news for the Yankees was that both Luke Voit and Gleyber Torres woke up after three subpar offensive performances in the series, meaning the Rays could be in a whole lot of trouble.

Luke Voit, Jordan Montgomery Trust Gerrit Cole To Win On Friday

That’s why, after hitting the second-longest home run of his career, the Yankees’ first baseman issued a strong warning to Kevin Cash and the Rays, stating that they’re going to win Game 5 because of Gerrit Cole.

“We’re going to win it. Gerrit on the mound, that’s the best situation possible for us. We’re locked and loaded. It’s a big win, big momentum for us,” Voit said after the game, as quoted by MLB.com.

Jordan Montgomery was huge for the Yankees in Game 4, going for four innings while allowing just one run before Chad Greene, Zack Britton, and Aroldis Chapman combined for five scoreless frames.

Moreover, Montgomery agreed with Voit by saying that Gerrit Cole is exactly the kind of guy they’d love to have on the mound in this defining game because of how big of a competitor he is:

“If we’re going to have somebody out there, I want it to be (Gerrit Cole). It’s always fun to watch him. He’s a great competitor. He definitely leaves it all out on the field,” Montgomery told the media.

Gerrit Cole already got the win in Game 1 of the series vs. Blake Snell. The Yankees have scored at least 4 runs in each of the first four games and it’s pretty clear that their confidence is at an all-time high right now.

Well, so far, so good for the Bronx Bombers, as they currently sit 1.5 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays at the top of their division even despite the constant injuries and nagging pains of their superstars.

It seems like Aaron Boone’s team is just too deep and their ‘next-man-up’ mentality continues to bring them together. And one of the players who has stepped forward the most is definitely Voit, who opened up about the team’s depth as its biggest strength:

“We have the deepest team in baseball. Guys are coming up and providing us with innings, at-bats, everything. It’s really impressive. I’ve never been on a team that’s had this much depth. Guys have stepped in for big-time All-Star players and have done really well,” Voit told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.

Yankees Thriving Without Star Duo

Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge have once again been forced to miss time due to injury but both are expected to come back to the lineup rather sooner than later. Moreover, AL batting average leader DJ LeMahieu was sent to the IL list as well.

Even so, the Yankees haven’t missed a beat since the restart of the season. They’re currently sitting at a 16-7 record and getting a major boost from their rotation and unlikely heroes like Clint Frazier.

With a third of this year’s shortened season already in the books, it’s hard not to give the Yankees the nod as one of the most electrifying teams in baseball. Then again, they must finish the job this time.