What Are the Yankees Greatest Areas of Need this Offseason?

A Mid-Rotation Starter

Given their recent approach to team-building, it seems unlikely that the Yankees will empty the farm system to acquire a big-name ace like Chris Sale, Chris Archer, or Sonny Gray this winter. They do have the chips to get it done, after the talent haul they brought in at the deadline, but the front office seems to be about patience and incremental upgrades these days.

Something similar to the Justin Wilson for Chad Green and Luis Cessa swap might be the most likely move to address the rotation. General manager Brian Cashman is all about the under-the-radar trade these days, so it’s hard to predict which team’s unknown and undervalued arms he might target.

The Yankees are swimming in back-of-the-rotation type guys at this point. What they really need is a proven veteran arm to provide some quality innings every fifth day given all the other question marks among the incumbent starters.

The free agent pitching market is pretty bleak, but there are a few guys who stand out as clear upgrades for the rotation. Rich Hill, Jeremy Hellickson, and Doug Fister would all be solid number twos for New York behind Masahiro Tanaka, but they are likely to be incredibly overpaid because of the lack of other options.

Next: A Big Bopper

A Veteran Power Bat

This is an area where the Yankees have the opportunity to find some nice value on the cheap in free agency. While the price of pitching continues to inflate, many quality veteran sluggers have been forced to settle for modest one-year contracts in recent offseasons.

With Greg Bird’s shoulder injury and the shaky performance of Tyler Austin since his big league debut, the team could use some certainty in the middle of the lineup, especially a guy who would be useful in a bench role if the kids get hot.

Steve Pearce, Brandon Moss, and Pedro Alvarez stand out as players who are all coming off excellent years at the plate, but are unlikely to require more than a two year commitment because of defensive limitations and platoon issues. Any of that group could handle a full-time role if needed, but also have experience off the bench in recent years.

As with the starting pitching market, New York seems likely to avoid the big fish they would have inevitably gone after in the Boss’s glory days. While that may frustrate some fans, just think about whether you want to watch 40-plus-year-old Jose Bautista limp around rightfield in a few years.

Next: Boosting the Bullpen

A Shutdown Reliever

The Yankees bullpen has done a remarkable job since the trade deadline considering the front office shipped out two elite relievers before August 1st. Tyler Clippard and Adam Warren were savvy pickups to patch up some of the holes, and there are some promising arms like Jonathan Holder and Ben Heller auditioning down the stretch.

Still, there is no such thing as having too many relievers. No Runs-DMC was an incredible success earlier in the season considering how terrible the offense and rotation were. They kept the team much closer to the playoff race than they had any right to be.

Having at least two elite relievers has been a hallmark of the Yankees dating all the way back to 1996 with Mariano Rivera and John Wetteland. Dellin Betances has done a fine job as closer, but he is so great in a multi-inning fireman role that New York should consider bringing in a “Proven Closer” type this winter so he can go back to doing what he does best.

The free agent market should be Cashman’s best bet for that, as three of the best closers in baseball will be available this winter in Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, and Mark Melancon. Any of those three would be a nice fit for the team and go a long way towards solidifying the bullpen situation.

Next: Yankees in Danger of Being Lost in Rule 5 Draft

Chapman seemed to enjoy his time in New York and has proven himself capable of dominating the tough AL East. Jansen is also superb and might come a little cheaper than the Cuban Missle. Melancon is the oldest and the shakiest of the group, but also should be the least expensive, which might prove appealing for ownership’s cost cutting.