TAMPA – In case Giancarlo Stanton’s phrases weren’t sufficient, he additionally had the look of somebody who was able to throw the worst season of his profession within the trash and start anew.
A noticeably slimmer Stanton reported to spring coaching Monday following an offseason through which his exercises have been “extra movement-based” with a easy objective in thoughts.
“Be a baseball participant once more,” Stanton stated at his locker at Steinbrenner Discipline. “I simply wanted to be extra cell. A number of setbacks [last season] saved me not shifting the way in which I’d wish to be.”
Stanton stated he did extra operating over the offseason than years previous, and whereas he declined to disclose his weight, he additionally stated “there will likely be some modifications” to his swing.
The 34-year-old stated he didn’t care that individuals could also be writing him off, however he additionally acknowledged the truth when requested if he wanted to show he ought to nonetheless get on a regular basis at-bats.
“Should you don’t produce, there’s going to be changes and methods, in any elements, to make the lineup as optimum as doable,” he stated. “So, it’s my job to try this.”
Bodily and mechanical changes have been needed after a season through which Stanton hit .191 with a .695 OPS – each career-lows – in 101 video games.
He missed six weeks early with a hamstring pressure and by no means seemed totally proper upon returning, along with his manufacturing falling off because the season went on.
Stanton’s historical past of lower-body points led common supervisor Brian Cashman to say over the offseason, “He’s going to wind up getting damage once more extra seemingly than not as a result of it appears to be a part of his sport.”
Whereas Cashman’s subsequent sentence was about Stanton being a “nice hitter” when he’s wholesome, the primary half created a stir with Stanton’s agent, Joel Wolfe, coming to his protection with a press release that warned free brokers about signing in New York.
“[Cashman] is aware of my response to that,” Stanton stated Monday.
Stanton, who has 4 years left on his contract with $98 million owed to him by the Yankees, has communicated with Cashman since these remarks however stated the 2 are OK now.
Coming off what he described as his “first totally wholesome offseason in a very long time,” Stanton is aware of he must translate that into outcomes.
“I’m right here to supply and assist us win a championship,” he stated. “That hasn’t occurred and it must. The noise forwards and backwards, no matter, it must be performed. I don’t hearken to noise. I perceive the info and that’s what hasn’t occurred.”