Luke Voit’s stint with the Yankees came to an end on Friday, after months of conjecture. According to both teams’ releases, the Yankees and Padres have agreed on a trade that will send the slugging first baseman to San Diego in exchange for minor league right-hander Justin Lange. To make room on the 40-man roster for Voit, the Padres placed right-hander Michel Baez on the 60-day disabled list.
The writing has been on the wall for Voit since New York re-signed Anthony Rizzo — and possibly even earlier. The Yankees acquired Rizzo last summer while Voit was on the disabled list for the third time in as many years, and they’ve been linked to Rizzo, Freddie Freeman, and Matt Olson since the end of the 2021 season, as they made no secret of their desire to pursue alternatives to the incumbent Voit.
The trade of Voit is the conclusion of a rapid shift in the organization’s attitude toward him. Just a year ago, Voit was the clear daily first baseman entering into Spring Training, having led the Majors with 22 home runs during the shortened 2020 season. However, a knee injury during training camp necessitated meniscus surgery, which kept Voit out of action for the first six weeks of the season. Voit returned in early May, but an oblique strain sent him back to the 10-day IL two weeks later. Voit was out for another three weeks due to that ailment, and he barely lasted a month before returning to the IL in mid-July owing to persisting soreness in his surgically repaired left knee.
In total, Voit only appeared in 68 games and 211 plate appearances in 2021. Voit was moderately productive when he was on the field, slashing. His offensive numbers were 239/.328/.427 (111 wRC+), but they were nowhere near his best. Voit had flourished since the Yankees acquired him from the Cardinals in exchange for relievers Chasen Shreve and Giovanny Gallegos, and he had led the Majors in long balls during the brief 2020 season.
Voit, who had been mostly denied regular playing time in St. Louis, quickly established himself as a secret treasure found by the Yankees. He hit 14 home runs in less than two months down the stretch in 2018, and he batted.279/.372/.543 with 57 home runs, 31 doubles, a triple, and an 11.5 percent walk rate against a 26.3 percent strikeout rate in 892 plate appearances as a Yankee from 2018 to 2020. Even with his “down” season this past season, Voit’s time with the Yankees will end on a high note. In 1133 plate appearances, he has a hitting line of 271/.363/.520.
Any lineup would benefit from such production, but the Padres, in particular, could use some oomph at first base and/or designated hitter. San Diego’s first basemen, led by Eric Hosmer, hit.275/.337/.412 as a team. Although this isn’t bad production, the ensuing 106 wRC+ ranks 20th in the Majors. More concerning was the Padres’ collective.241/.324/.380 batting average versus left-handed pitching (94 wRC+, 24th in MLB). Voit, who has a career batting average of.264/.344/.516 against left-handed pitching, should be especially useful in that aspect — though he shouldn’t be considered a platoon player. On the contrary, Voit’s career averages versus right-handed pitching are slightly superior.
As good as he has been at the plate during his time with the Yankees, Voit is a below-average defender at first base. The Yankees have made improving the defense a top priority recently, as evidenced by not only bringing back Rizzo, but also moving Gleyber Torres to second base, acquiring Isiah Kiner-Falefa to take over at shortstop, and sending Gary Sanchez to the Twins in favor of Kyle Higashioka and Ben Rortvedt, who currently project to be a glove-first duo (acquired in that deal with the Twins).
Voit will now join the Padres not only for the 2022 season, but perhaps for the entire 2024 season. He’s still arbitration eligible, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him to earn $5.4MM in 2022 before receiving two increases. It’s an eminently reasonable price to pay for a hitter of Voit’s caliber, especially if he can increase his productivity from 2021 to closer to 2018-20 levels.
In terms of the Yankees’ return, they’ll get a 20-year-old right-hander with a fastball that can reach triple digits but has evaluators concerned about his command. Lange, who was the No. 34 overall pick in the 2020 draft and made his career debut with the Padres’ Rookie-ball club in 2021, is 6’4′′ and 220-pounds. He pitched 22 innings with a 6.95 ERA, 28.4% strikeout rate, and a whopping 14.7 percent walk rate. The Athletic’s Keith Law ranked Lange 13th among San Diego farmhands, saying the righty has “big stuff and a workhorse physique” but “questionable command” in addition to a recent knee injury.
Lange brings a power arm to the Yankees’ lower levels, although a high-risk one who will be a project for their development department. The Yankees’ anticipated 2022 payroll is now a little under $240 million, while their luxury-tax liabilities are still a little over $253 million, putting them fully in the new CBA’s second tier of punishment.
