Via Joel Sherman: The Yankees have asked the Giants about the availability of Hunter Pence. It’s unclear if they’re still interested after acquiring Alfonso Soriano. Ken Rosenthal says San Francisco will indeed entertain offers for the free-agent-to-be outfielder. The reigning World Champs have lost 26 of their last 37 games (!) and are nine games out of a playoff spot.
Pence, 30, is hitting .278/.321/.459 (119 wRC+) with 14 homers and 14 steals in 436 plate appearances this year, including a stellar 166 wRC+ against southpaws. He’s an average to slightly below-average defender in right and is owed approximately $4.8M through the end of the season. Pence is a rock solid player who got overrated earlier in his career because he was the proverbial “best player on a bad team,” but he would be a huge upgrade to the current Yankees. He won’t come cheap, but even with Soriano aboard, New York should make a run at him. There are plenty of ways to get someone like this into the lineup.
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