Yankees: Things would be different if George Steinbrenner was still around

Former Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner, God rest his soul, must be fuming right now in the baseball heavens. His New York Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2009. Also, the Boston Red Sox won their fourth World Series in the last fifteen years. If he were around now, things would be different this off-season.

“The Boss” or “Mr. Steinbrenner” as Derek Jeter would call George, never was one for saving money. FanSided’s Call to the Pen revealed the massive increase in team revenue the Yankees collected in 2018. Meanwhile, their 2018 team payroll was uncharacteristically outside the Top-5, according to Spotrac.

Earlier in the off-season, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said he would explore all options. George’s son, Hal Steinbrenner, said he still believes a baseball team should win a World Series below the luxury tax. However, he would be willing to pay beyond the luxury tax if a move is vital enough for his team to win another championship.

With generational talents like Bryce Harper and Manny Machado available via free agency, one could think George would be aggressive this off-season. He wouldn’t drag his feet and talk himself out of reasons to not sign both of them. By now, he may have signed both All-Stars to record-breaking contracts.

Cashman addressed the Yankees pitching needs by trading away top prospect Justus Sheffield, Eric Swanson, and Dom Thompson-Williams in exchange for Seattle Mariners ace James Paxton. The deal was sweet, but George would have done something different.

George would have found another suitor for his prized pitching prospect. He also would have dealt the MLBPA’s 2018 choice for most outstanding AL rookie, Miguel Andujar. And top prospect Estevan Florial would be used as a trade chip to ensure the Yankees improved their pitching staff. If George were around now, Andujar, Sheffield, and Florial would all be on the Cleveland Indians because he would have made a blockbuster deal to land Corey Kluber.

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To fill the void at third base, Machado would fit in nicely as a Gold Glover and an MVP-caliber slugger. Replacing Brett Gardner in left field, who George would not have brought back, would be a clean-shaven Bryce Harper. Overtaking Luis Severino as the definitive ace of the pitching staff would be Corey Kluber.

Lastly, to make sure the pitching was not going to be a problem, George would have signed Patrick Corbin. All of this could have been a reality if The Boss was still around. He always believed the fans deserved championships.

He wouldn’t accept a team that was good enough to compete for a Wild Card spot, like his son has, so far this off-season. Hal has a chance to rewrite his current legacy as a prospect hugger and money hoarder. So let’s see how aggressive he will be for the remaining winter months before we write him off.