Time for Yankees to officially kickoff offseason moves

If there is one positive to take out of the Shohei Ohtani saga finally coming to an end, is that the Yankees can now concentrate on the rest of the offseason.

Shohei Ohtani doesn’t want to play for the Yankees. That much we know.

So now that we can put his chase to bed, it’s time for general manager Brian Cashman and company to officially get crackin’ on other offseason moves.

Actually, perhaps signing Cashman to a new contract should be the first order of business. I’m still a bit surprised the guy is acting in the role without a formal agreement.

On Friday evening, news broke that Aaron Boone had beaten out Hensley Muelens to become the 35th manager in Yankees history.

Now three days later, can we please get a scheduled time to announce Boone to the fans and the press! I get that the brass was busy with Ohtani, but enough hours have been wasted on a guy who had no intention of playing in New York.

The baseball world needs to hear from the new manager; his philosophy; his passion. We need to hear how Boonie won the job, and why the club is committed to him and for how long his contract runs.

Until we hear from Boone, claiming that the team will still use a revolving door at DH is asinine. I doubt very much that Bob’s son does anything similar to former manager Joe Girardi. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gotten the job.

One clear-cut choice to act as DH needs to be made. Whether that’s by acquiring a slugger via trade, such as Kyle Schwarber of the Cubs; or acting through free agency, where guys like Carlos Santana, Matt Adams, Mark Reynolds and Yonder Alonso can be had, remains to be seen.

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Let’s tie up the loose ends!

Since when have the Yankees become a sit back and wait, type of organization?

Re-upping CC Sabathia for one more year is now a necessity. While top prospects such as Chance Adams, Justus Sheffield and Miguel Acevedo are nearly ready to contribute at the big league level, last year’s success changes the way the 2018 season must begin.

While it may be tempting to check in on free agent shooters Alex Cobb, Jake Arrieta or Lance Lynn, there’s no need to overspend just because Ohtani didn’t work out. Should a free agent starter come at a reasonable price and help the team right away, then fine.

And as always, the Yankees will be linked to a plethora of possible trades. With Clint Frazier, Gleyber Torres and Miguel Andujar itching to crack the opening day roster, the Bombers have plenty of moves to consider (Jacoby Ellsbury is just taking up a roster spot at this point).

The rebuilding moniker of a year ago allowed the club to begin the early months of last season with rookie left-hander Jordan Montgomery as the team’s No. 5 starter.

We had no idea what to expect from Aaron Judge, who barely made the team out of spring training, or what the heck Chad Green would look like from the bullpen.

But for the 2018 season, things have changed.

Next: Mock Yankees offseason transactions

Even after bringing in a new manager, the core of this club still fell one game shy of a World Series berth. Saying expectations are high would be an understatement.

If there is one positive to take out of the Shohei Ohtani saga finally coming to an end, is that the Yankees can now concentrate on the rest of the offseason.

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