What Will Be the New York Yankees Next Big Move?

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Jul 30, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Carlos Beltran (36) on deck to bat against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

A New Designated Hitter

The dominos in the DH/outfielder market are beginning to fall, with Yoenis Cespedes, Matt Joyce, Eric Thames, and Jon Jay all finding new homes recently. The next big name who is rumored to be on the verge of making his decision is former Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion, whose agent revealed on Tuesday that the top remaining free agent bat will make his choice, “later this week or early next week.”

While many sources are declaring the Houston Astros the favorite for EE, Jon Heyman reports that the Blue Jays, Yankees, and at least a few more teams remain in the race.

astros tried for cespedes 2 years running. adds to encarnacion/stros theory. but told nyy, tor & "a couple others" r in
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 1, 2016

Because the Yankees have so many young position players on the cusp of forcing their way into the big league lineup, a free agent bat who is willing to accept a shorter-term pact is probably more attractive to them than the four-plus years it will take to land Encarnacion.

To that end, the team is rumored to be in the mix for Carlos Beltran (via Bob Nightengale), Mike Napoli (via Heyman), and Matt Holiday (via George King). If any of those guys are willing to accept a one-year deal in the $10-15 million range, I think Brian Cashman would put pen to paper right away.

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