Section 27 in the New York Yankees analysis series. “

Chasen Shreve had 40 matches in 2018 when the Yankees exchanged him with the Cardinals – along with Giovanny Gallegos – for Luke Voit, who had just performed 13 times with St Louis that season.

Voit is sent to Triple-A Scranton / Wilkes-Barre and where the Shreve list is taken by J.A. Happ, who just arrived in trade with Toronto.

He was called in a few days later and fought in his first assignment with the Yankees, sent back to Scranton / Wilkes-Barre, but Voit returned to The Bronx for good end of the month and provided a line with some power needed in stretching.

The following spring, Voit defeated Greg Bird for first base work, and hit again before a core muscle injury thwarted his season and made him off the playoff list.

Recovering from offseason operations, Voit is in line to become the first baseman in 2020 when coronavirus forces the closure of spring training. The 29-year-old was a solid trade for Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, when Shreve struggled with the Cardinals – even though Gallegos’s right-hand player had an exceptional 2019 at St. Louis.

Voit still hasn’t produced one full season, but that trade is another where the Yankees get a solid player without giving up much.

This is a trend that has helped them compete, with one of the few exceptions being the wrong step to get Giancarlo Stanton from Marlins in return for 24-year-old Jorge Guzman, who played well in Double-A last season, because of Jose Devers, a Infielder is 20 years old, and Starlin Castro.

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On the other hand, they took Happ in 2018 for Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney, and Happ was sent for the Yankees for the rest of the season while Drury and McKinney had struggled.

Drury was a disaster for the Yankees, and the two minor league players who were sacrificed in the deal, infielder Nick Solak and Taylor Widener’s right hand, had not yet established themselves in the majors, but still had potential.

But the most important thing for the Yankees is that they continue to see Voit grow. He is expected to play regularly on the spot if and when the 2020 season starts – by swinging left-handed Mike Ford as a potential reserve, and DJ LeMahieu and maybe Miguel Andujar also get time there.

It was LeMahieu who took over at the first base in the playoffs last season, with Gleyber Torres in the second, Gio Urshela in the third and Didi Gregory at the shortstop. With Gregory now in Philadelphia and Torres scheduled, LeMahieu will return second regularly, leaving Voit at first.

This spring, Voit was driven by how he felt physically after the operation, after dealing with stomach tension in London against the Red Sox and then suffered a sports hernia at the end of the season.

Health woes rob Voit of power and cause diminished roles. He was active on ALDS against the Twins, but did not play and was then left off the list at the ALCS against Astros.

He didn’t think any of that would be a factor this season. Voit has two additional hit bases (homer and double) in 30 bats this spring before the Grapefruit League season is removed.

“I have never felt better in my life,” Voit said in February. “That’s everything. I felt faster, more agile and my strength returned. ‘