Yankees should ride the hot hand at third base despite new trade acquisition

The New York Yankees acquired super utilityman Jon Berti from the Miami Marlins two days ago. While there was some speculation regarding his spot in the lineup on opening day, the team decided to roll with Oswaldo Cabrera.

Cabrera had an up-and-down spring performance coming off a tough 2023 season that saw his development trend in the wrong direction. He ended up hitting .211/.275/.299, including five homers and 29 RBIs. This spring, he hit .213 with a .302 OBP but did manage two homers and three RBIs across 20 games. The Yankees clearly wanted to add more support and upside in the infield, especially with DJ LeMahieu suffering a foot injury.

Berti, now 34, is coming off a solid season with the Marlins, enjoying a career-high .294 batting average with a solid .344 on-base percentage. The Yanks gave up 18-year-old outfield prospect John Cruz, so they were looking to cash in for an immediate impact piece.

However, the Yankees should simply roll with the hot hand for now. Cabrera smashed a home run against the Astros on Thursday, tying the game at 4–4 in the sixth inning. Cabrera finished the day with two hits and two runs, displaying solid offensive value, which is exactly what the Yankees were hoping to see.