Yankees: Predicting if these 12 players will return in 2020

Following the defeat of the New York Yankees in the ALCS, questions are being raised about who will still be with the club in 2020. Clearly, there are difficult decisions that will need to be made by team executives before the start of next season.

Rather than sitting around and continuing to be depressed about the outcome of the ALCS, let’s take a look at how the Yankees can improve the overall quality of their roster moving forward.

Addressing this question first requires a review of present crucial personnel and a determination of who will likely remain on the team and who might be let go.

Players most likely to remain

Dellin Betances, RHP: Betances made $7.25 million on a one-year deal in 2019, and he can now file for free agency. However, injuries during spring training and September prevented him from having a stellar season.

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He hardly pitched at all in 2019. Therefore, Betances will probably seek a one-year deal with incentives since his market value has significantly dropped due to his injuries.

This will likely make him affordable for the Yanks. When healthy, he is one of the most dominant relievers in the game. In fact, he could become the team’s closer if Aroldis Chapman’s demands become too extravagant for the club to meet.

Aroldis Chapman, LHP: Chappy will be 32 next year and is set to make $15 million in the third season of a five-year, $86 million contract that includes another $15 million in 2021. However, Chapman has an opt-out clause, and will almost definitely pursue free agency during the offseason.

The Yankees like Chapman a lot. So the team is likely to try to retain him if possible unless his market value becomes ridiculously high, and the club has to agree to an expensive, multi-year contract to keep him.

Brett Gardner, OF: Gardy made $7.5 million on a one-year deal in 2019 (his best statistical season ever), and can file for free agency this offseason. He wants to play in 2020 (when he will turn 37) and stay with the Bombers, the only team he has played for in the MLB.

There is an excellent chance that he will accept a team-friendly, one-year deal to return as the fourth outfielder. This past year Gardner played a lot due to extended injuries to Aaron Hicks and Giancarlo Stanton. He will be needed once more since Hicks will undergo Tommy John surgery and be out for at least half of next season.

Didi Gregorious, SS: Sir Didi turns 30 in February, and the Yankees will keep him unless his price becomes very high during free agency. There is a good chance that he will be affordable for the Yanks since most clubs already have reliable shortstops who earn modest incomes.

However, the team is most likely going to pursue free agent pitcher Gerrit Cole aggressively (as it should), and the Bombers might decide not to extend a $17.8M qualifying offer to Gregorius and use the money for Cole (or for Stephen Strasburg – if he becomes a free agent) instead.

The Yanks do have the option of moving Gleyber Torres to shortstop and D.J. LeMahieu to second base — keeping Gio Urshela at third base and Luke Voit at first base. Still, not a bad infield at all, minus Gregorious.

Austin Romine, C: He is 30 years old and made $1.5 million in 2019. Romine becomes a free agent now after having backing up Gary Sanchez for a few years.

Understandably, he would very much like to be a starter. Whether he will be able to receive such an offer from another team is uncertain. However, if he does, would the Yankees try to match his salary offer, and would he accept — and agree to remain a backup catcher for the Bombers?

Romine is very smart and has been a solid backup for the often-injured Sanchez. The third-string catcher, Kyle Higashioka, is fine defensively, but he is a light hitter.

Of course, if the Bombers lose Romine, they still would need to find a replacement at least of equal quality anyway (especially given how often Sanchez is on the IL), which won’t come cheap.

Thus, the Yankees may decide to match an outside offer and hope that Romine remains with the team as the backup catcher, even if the external offer includes becoming a starter somewhere else.

Players most likely to go

Miguel Andujar, 3B: This past season Gio Urshela emerged as one of the best hitting and fielding third baseman in the American League, and has more than likely supplanted Andujar at third base for next year.

Andujar’s fielding was sub par during his rookie campaign. There is concern that he will not improve enough and that he will remain a defensive liability, requiring replacement by a good glove in the later innings of ball games.

GM Brian Cashman even floated Andujar as trade bait last offseason, and will be likely be used again this offseason by the Bombers, potentially for the likes of acquiring a solid No. 2 or 3 starting pitcher (or a quality outfielder with Hicks on the IL for at least the first half of the 2020 season).

At the same time, there is a good chance that Andujar can become an outstanding DH for either the Yanks or another club.

Greg Bird, 1B: It is extremely unlikely that the Yanks will keep Bird. Despite a terrible slump at the end of the 2019 season, Luke Voit has a lock at first base. Also, Mike Ford came through several times towards the end of the season in clutch situations. Bird has only played 140 games over the last four seasons due to frequent injuries. He did not perform well when he was given a chance to play — and his time in the Bronx should come to an end.

Edwin Encarnacion, DH: It’s sad to say but the parrot will most likely be let loose into the wild. In 2019, Encarnacion made $20 million in the final year of a three-year contract that includes a $15 million club option or $5M buyout for 2020.

Therefore, he’s headed to the the open market because the Bombers will likely opt to take the buyout. Encarnacion will be 37 in 2020 and the Yanks already have way too many right-handed power hitters. The team could use the money saved to re-sign Gregorius or obtain a good starting (or relief) pitcher.

Clint Frazier, OF: Although I am a big Clint Frazier fan and I do not believe that he has been treated fairly by the Yanks — and especially the media, his chances of returning with the team is only about 10 percent.

The club has a crowded outfield, and there is no place for Frazier next year. More than likely, the team will use him for trade bait, perhaps as a “throw-in” for an elite starting pitcher or a reliable veteran reliever.

Frankly, this might be the best outcome for Frazier; as he may flourish in another setting where he is more supported and appreciated — and has the opportunity to play much more often.

Cory Gearrin, RHP: His performance was mediocre at best since joining the Bombers as a waiver claim in August. Gearrin will likely move on in the winter as a free agent. However, I do like the fact that he is both a major league pitcher and an avid book reader.

Cameron Maybin, OF: A terrific guy to have in the clubhouse, and he is popular with the other players, Maybin very much wants to return. But given the crowded outfield situation, the Yanks are likely to move forward without him.

C.C. Sabathia, LHP: There is no chance that Sabathia is returning next year. While he originally considered coming back for one more year despite his knee problem, the serious shoulder injury he suffered at the end of the season changed all that. Nonetheless, look for the Yankees to bring him in as a bench coach or adviser.

The Yankees have won at least 100 games in the very tough American League East two years in a row, and they already are a terrific team.

Only very few changes to the existing roster are required. Good fortune in free agency and the trading market, along with continued improvement in the play of the young pups, will result in them becoming the overall favorite to win the 2020 Word Series.