Boomer: Giancarlo Stanton proof that GMs need to avoid big contracts into players' mid-30s

Giancarlo Stanton has landed on the IL for the first time this season, and could miss a month with a hamstring strain after lightly rounding third base in Saturday’s win over the Braves.

Stanton was on a 10-game hitting streak and in the midst of one of his best stretches of baseball as a Yankee, and now will be out until potentially August.

For Boomer, it is yet another cautionary tale for teams who are looking to sign free agents to monster deals that will pay them through their mid-30s, as Stanton is 34 and still under contract through 2027.

“This goes back to my point about signing guys long term into their mid-30s,” Boomer said of Stanton, who was 25 when he signed his 13-year extension with the Marlins, which will take him through his age 38 season. “He is defendant No. 1.

“It’s unfortunate that this happens to him…these are sometimes the problem that you deal with when it comes to larger athletes, especially when they get older. I can’t impress enough upon the general managers here, stop signing guys to long-term contracts where they get into their mid-30s. it’s mind-numbing to me.”

The Yankees will have to hope that Stanton is not a sign of what’s to come with Aaron Judge, a player with a similar build who signed a nine-year deal after the 2022 season. But for now, it is another frustrating injury for Stanton, who had given the Yankee lineup some much-needed length with the way he was swinging the bat, posting a .795 OPS with 18 home runs on the year.

"He was having a really solid bounceback year. And this all of a sudden happens,” Boomer said. “And it’s not just the next four weeks that he’s gonna miss. How long is it gonna take him to get going when he comes back?”