Why 36 home run All-Star is Yankees 'best possible' Giancarlo Stanton replacement

The end of Giancarlo Stanton's New York Yankees tenure may be near. 

Stanton could miss the remainder of the season after he fell and strained his calf while rehabbing from an identical injury in his other leg. 

The designated hitter has been out since April, and there were hopes he could return and be a force in the postseason for the Yankees once again. But the injuries have kept the 36-year-old off the field. 

If the Yankees decide to cut ties with Stanton during the offseason, the "best possible" replacement is a slugger from the AL West, writes Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer. 

The 'best possible' Giancarlo Stanton replacement for Yankees

"Even if it's highly unlikely, the Yankees would need to be at the front of the line. [Yordan] Alvarez is another injury-prone guy, yet he's also a guy with a career 168 OPS+ and AL-best marks for AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, home runs, and RBI this year," Rymer wrote. "He also has a 1.133 OPS at Yankee Stadium." 

When healthy, Alvarez is one of, if not the best, hitters in the Majors. Alvarez can capture MLB's first Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera in 2012. 

As of Tuesday, he ranks first in the AL with a .320 batting average, first in home runs (36), and first in RBIs (90). 

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There are some health concerns, but pairing the slugger with Aaron Judge would easily make the Yankees a top-five lineup in baseball.

We've already seen how poor New York's lineup could be without Judge. On the flip side, it's one of the best in the Majors with him in it. 

Adding Alvarez for the next two years would be a scary sight for opposing dugouts. 

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