What Are the Yankees Greatest Areas of Need this Offseason?

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