Three Things To Watch For At The Winter Meetings For The New York Yankees

Sep 6, 2013; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees center fielder

(11) hits a two-run triple against the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning of a game at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

With all the wheeling and dealing so far you would think the Winter Meetings have happened already! Well, they haven’t, but they will begin tomorrow in Florida. The Winter Meetings are a time when not only decision makers are there, but free agents and players who may have been unsigned last year are there to job hunt. The New York Yankees are sure to be very active during the next few days as their team continues to turn over. Here are the three things you need to watch for over the next few days.

Second Base: With the departure of Robinson Cano, the Yankees have a bit of a hole at second base. Right now it’s Kelly Johnson, however, I can’t see him starting there. Omar Infante is the logical free agent choice. He’s the best available, though there will certainly be competition for him like the Kansas City Royals.

If that doesn’t work they could look at the trade market. Brandon Phillips may or may not be available. Dan Uggla is, but I’m not sure the Yankees want to go down that route.

Trading Places: If the Yankees are getting Brandon Phillips they may have to trade Brett Gardner for him. With the signing of Carlos Beltran, Gardner is a guy who is now a trade target of many clubs. I think the player they’d rather trade is Ichiro Suzuki, though his $6 million price tag will hinder that.

In the pen: Yes the Yankees need another starter, however, they need some help in the bullpen. They have to decide whether or not David Robertson will close, or will they add someone like Grant Balfour or Joaquin Benoit in free agency. They could also use some help in the middle since Boone Logan and Joba Chamberlain are free agents and right now Dellin Betances and Cesar Cabral are filling those roles and are untested. I mentioned Eric O’Flaherty earlier this week and another guys who they could also look at is Joel Hanrahan. The could also go and draft someone in the Rule V draft.

This week is going to be very busy for the Yankees and around baseball. It’s an exciting time in the off-season and if last week was any indication, this week could be very busy.