Giancarlo Stanton’s agent responds to Brian Cashman’s injury comment
NEW YORK — Giancarlo Stanton’s agent has responded after Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that the slugger will likely end up getting hurt again next year.
“I read the context of the interview,” Wasserman’s Joel Wolfe told The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal on Tuesday. “I think it’s a good reminder for all free agents considering signing in New York both foreign and domestic that to play for that team you’ve got to be made of Teflon, both mentally and physically because you can never let your guard down even in the offseason.”
Wolfe, who did not immediately reply to attempts to reach him, was responding to a comment Cashman made about Stanton at the GM meetings last week. Cashman’s words came during a fiery group media session, but the New York Daily News was the first to write what he said about Stanton in a story that published Monday.
“We try to limit the time he’s down,” Cashman said. “But I’m not gonna tell you he’s gonna play every game next year because he’s not. He’s going to wind up getting hurt again more likely than not because it seems to be part of his game. But I know that when he’s right and healthy — other than this past year — the guy’s a great hitter and has been for a long time.”
Stanton has a lengthy injury history, especially when it comes to his lower body. An early-season hamstring strain limited him to 101 games in 2023, and his mobility has become increasingly limited. In August, manager Aaron Boone said that he believes Stanton has a “fear of putting himself in a bad spot” after suffering so many lower-body injuries in recent years.
“It’s been something that we’ve been working through and working on for a long time without the results that we want,” Cashman said when asked about improving Stanton’s mobility. “So I don’t have an answer to that. I know he’s frustrated by it. We know he’s certainly better than what we saw last year.”
In addition to missing a chunk of time, Stanton also endured the worst offensive season of his career in 2023, slashing .191/.275/.420 with 24 home runs and 60 RBIs. He is hitting .202/.286/.442 since 2022 began.
Wolfe’s mention of free agents “foreign and domestic” was notable, as he also represents Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Yankees have been heavily linked to the righty, who is expected to be posted this winter.
