Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Considering Brandon Nimmo in Free Agency, MLB Insider Says

Could the Yankees sign Brandon Nimmo this offseason, making him their starting left fielder in 2023?

Max Goodman

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The Yankees have two holes to fill in their outfield this offseason.

Re-signing Aaron Judge to a monster contract would check one of those boxes, the top item on New York's to-do list. 

Heck, they might even name the superstar slugger captain in the process. 

Left field, on the other hand, comes with more options and more uncertainty. 

There are some internal assets, like Aaron Hicks and versatile prospect Oswaldo Cabrera. New York could try to bring Andrew Benintendi back in free agency or look to sign Japanese star Masataka Yoshida.

Another possibility is only one borough away in New York City, a lefty-swinging outfielder that gets on base and plays strong defense. 

The Yankees have reached out to Brandon Nimmo this offseason, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.  

Nimmo isn't necessarily the perfect fit. New York doesn't need a center fielder after acquiring Harrison Bader at the deadline this summer. Bader is under contract for one more season and made a case to be a long-term solution at the position beyond 2023 as well with the way he performed down the stretch, especially in the postseason. 

Still, it's easy to envision Nimmo in New York's lineup. The 29-year-old slashed .274/.367/.433 for the Mets with 16 home runs, seven triples and 134 wRC+ in 2022. He set career-highs in games played (151), runs scored (102), RBI (64) and fWAR (5.4).

The Yankees have been coveting left-handed hitters lately, wanting to provide much-needed balance to their high-octane offense. Nimmo would bring elite plate discipline and contact skills, mixed in with some pop. 

All but one of Nimmo's starts with the Mets this year were from the leadoff spot. Whether he's hitting first or providing a spark out of the bottom of the order, Nimmo profiles as a quality alternative to Benintendi and Yoshida, both left-handed hitters with similar skills at the dish. 

Nimmo can make these kinds of catches as well...

All that said, it won't necessarily be easy to sign the former first-round pick. Heyman added that the "majority of teams" are interested in Nimmo. The Mets want him back as well after the outfielder declined their qualifying offer.

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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