MLB rumors: Yankees' Brian Cashman talks Bryce Harper playing 1st base

by Felix Pantaleón

Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper headlines the free agency class. New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is expected to talk with Harper’s agent, Scott Boras. Would Cashman consider signing Harper and moving the slugger to first base, since the Yankees are set with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Brett Gardner in the outfield?

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If Yankees general manager Brian Cashman pursues slugger Bryce Harper in free agency, he will have to answer this question: what position would Harper play in New York?

The Yankees are set in the outfield with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks and Brett Gardner.

Harper has floated the idea of playing first base. It’s an idea his agent, Scott Boras, supports. The Yankees reportedly had internal discussions about Harper at first.

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On Tuesday, Cashman went on MLB Radio and weighed in publicly on where he stands with respect to Harper playing first base. Per MLB.com:

“People have talked about Bryce Harper being able to play first base, I don’t know if he can or can’t,” Cashman said. “I know he’s very athletic, but that’s not necessarily a bet I would recommend placing with the amount of money he’s expected to get.”

Cashman again pinpointed the starting rotation as an area of focus, along with addressing the bullpen and covering the absence of shortstop Didi Gregorius, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and likely won’t be ready until the summer. Cashman, though, didn’t close the door on signing Harper.

“I’m not ruling anything out,” the GM said. “We like to think of ourselves as very progressive and open-minded to any idea, if it’s a good idea. My main laser focus currently is on those areas of need, but that doesn’t preclude me from, with ownership obviously directing things from above, being open to any idea that makes us the best that we can possibly be.”