The New York Yankees should absolutely add this hitter immediately.
The New York Yankees could definitely stand to improve their offense this winter. Yes, the Yankees still ranked toward the top of the majors in most offensive categories in 2025, but there is no question that they could use some extra lineup depth.
If Cody Bellinger departs, that need will increase that much further, and even if he re-signs, New York could still afford to bring in more pieces.
On that note, a perfect target just landed right in its lap: Justyn-Henry Malloy.
The Detroit Tigers designated Malloy for assignment late last week, a rather surprising move considering that Malloy is just 25 years old and owns a career .286/.416/.467 minor-league slash line.
Yes, Malloy has struggled in limited big-league action, slashing .209/.311/.346 over 357 plate appearances between 2024 and 2025, but there is one area in which the outfielder has excelled: mashing left-handers.
Malloy has slashed .250/.397/.423 against lefties throughout his brief major-league career, presenting the Yankees with a tantalizing platoon option with Jasson Dominguez in left field or simply an intriguing extra outfielder.
Detroit Tigers outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy. Credit: Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Let's face it: Dominguez has looked awful versus lefties thus far. He registered a .569 OPS against southpaws in 2025, which makes you wonder if he actually is a switch hitter.
Should Bellinger sign elsewhere, New York will need to find some sort of an answer, and while Malloy is certainly not a world beater by any stretch of the imagination, he has potential, and you can already tell that he is a terrific eye at the plate.
This is a move the Yankees should move irrespective of Bellinger's decision. We might not know what Bellinger decides to do until February or March, so the Yanks can't just sit around waiting for him to make his move.
It's time for New York to get a little more active. I understand that Malloy isn't the type of slam dunk acquisition Yankees fans are looking for. Not with his career .657 OPS. But it's hard to ignore the potential that exists with the New York native, and the Yanks do have a decent history of finding guys on the scrap heap and turning them into useful players.
The Yankees will probably have to swing a trade to acquire Malloy, and it's absolutely something they should consider before the seven-day DFA window expires. It seems hard to imagine that the Tigers will outright release Malloy, so if New York doesn't act now, Detroit might just send him to AAA.