Yankees' Aaron Boone 'Open to' Aaron Judge in LF, Giancarlo Stanton in RF at Home

Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge could be sharing the outfield a little more in 2023.

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters Tuesday he's open to moving Judge to left field and playing Stanton in right when the Bronx Bombers are playing at home:

Judge gave his blessing to the idea.

"If we need to put Big G in right field at Yankee Stadium, move me to left, I don't mind it," he told reporters. "I don't mind switching around, so we can have Bader, me and the Big G out there. We'll get some [game] reps, hopefully, at spring training and be comfortable out there."

Stanton said he finds a better "flow" when he's in the outfield as well.

"Being in the outfield, you're kind of more engaged in the game; whereas, DH, you're inside a lot of the time, staying warm and hitting, and kind of watching the game from the TV as opposed to being out more engaged," he said.

The New York Post's Joel Sherman reported Monday that Boone was "at least considering" putting Judge and Stanton in the two corner spots. It would allow both stars to play while freeing up the designated hitter slot for a starter who needs a bit of a rest.

The strategy would also help cover for a potential hole in New York's lineup.

Aaron Hicks has posted a sub-100 OPS+ in each of the last two seasons, and he projects to be the starting left fielder on Opening Day. Bumping Hicks for DJ LeMahieu as the DH might be a net benefit for the offense.

At this point, Stanton's days as an everyday outfielder are all but over. Per Baseball Reference, he logged just 64 starts in the field between 2021 and 2022. The 2017 National League MVP wasn't an elite defender in his prime, and his skills have diminished further thanks to age and injuries.

Boone indicated in December he still viewed Stanton as a spot starter in the outfield, though.

The short porch at Yankee Stadium would mean Stanton has a little less ground to cover, but inserting him there would require Judge to learn a new position. He has yet to start a single game in left field during his MLB career.

The 6'7" slugger does have some experience in center, so that's where could line up if Boone felt more comfortable putting Harrison Bader in left.

Having Judge and Stanton on the same team is certainly an issue every other manager wished they had to work around.