Yanks Go Yard exclusive Interview with Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch

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Will James Paxton return for the Yankees in 2021? Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /

This will shape up to be a huge offseason for the New York Yankees, and we sat down with Bryan Hoch from Yankees.com to discuss.

The 2020 New York Yankees did not reach their ultimate goal, as they fell short of winning a World Series when they were beaten by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series. As we turn the page and eye the 2021 campaign, there is a lot up in the air, including what they plan to do with the rotation, veteran players, and pending free agents.

With free agency and the Winter Meetings on the horizon, we sat down with Yankees.com beat writer Bryan Hoch to discuss.

YGY: Do you think the Yankees bring back either J.A. Happ or James Paxton this offseason?

Bryan Hoch: I would say there’s a better chance of James Paxton, depending on what he’s looking for coming off yet another injury-plagued season. That has really been the story of his career – fantastic stuff but an inability to get out there for a full year.

It sounds like Scott Boras is trying to bang the drum that Paxton would be fully recovered and ready to go by spring 2021, so maybe the Yankees take a flyer if his asking price sits somewhere around one year and $6 million – half what he would have made in an uninterrupted 2020.

I don’t see a J.A. Happ reunion in the cards; I think there’s too much ill will after this year. He’d probably love to go back to the Philadelphia Phillies, and they could use the pitching help.

Hoch feels the Yankees need to bring back DJ LeMahieu Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /

Yanks Go Yard Interview with Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch

YGY: How likely is it that DJ LeMahieu returns for 2021 and beyond?

Hoch: If I were Brian Cashman and I had one bullet to fire this offseason, that would be my move. DJ LeMahieu has been the Yanks’ most valuable player for two years running, a complete performer on both sides of the ball, and he makes them better every day that he’s on the field.

I struggle to make an argument how they could be a better club without LeMahieu, and they may have erred by allowing him to test free agency. A three- or four-year deal in the ballpark of $20 million per season seems reasonable to me.

Even if he loses a step defensively, I love his bat-to-ball ability long-term, especially in Yankee Stadium.

YGY: What do you think the team will do with Gary Sanchez moving forward?

Hoch: I wonder about that. My gut tells me that they’ll bring him into spring training and plan on using him as their starting catcher, or at least in a platoon with Kyle Higashioka, but Gary sat in five of the seven postseason games. That doesn’t seem like a starting catcher to me, especially one who is going to be earning more than $5 million.

A trade or even a non-tender wouldn’t shock me, but there are enough voices in the organization who still believe in Sánchez. It’s not like he’s 38 years old and past his prime, so his dropoff is a mystery to me.

They’ve invested a ton of time and money into him – he signed for $3 million as a 16-year-old back in 2009 – so I could see them giving it one more try in what they hope is a full 2021 season.

Brett Gardner back in the Bronx? (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Yanks Go Yard Interview with Yankees beat writer Bryan Hoch

YGY: Do you envision Brett Gardner returning in 2021?

I think he does, as long as he’s willing to take a one-year deal and a pay cut. I wouldn’t count on him as the starting left fielder, as I think that Clint Frazier has done enough to earn a fair crack at that job, but having a capable defender who happens to hit from the left side isn’t a bad thing to have on the bench – especially since Mike Tauchman seemed to regress this past year and hardly played down the stretch.

Gardner talked late in the season about how he didn’t want his last games as a Yankee to be played in an empty ballpark. I bet the Steinbrenner family gives him a chance to fix that.

YGY: Did Deivi Garcia do enough to earn his spot in the rotation next season?

Hoch: Unless they do something wild like signing both Trevor Bauer and re-signing Masahiro Tanaka, I’d go into the new year counting on García in the starting five. He showed me maturity and poise far beyond his 21 years, and we’ll always wonder how Game 2 of the ALDS would have played out if they’d just let him have a traditional start against Tampa Bay.

Next. This former Yankees pitcher could be underrated free agent target. dark

If the season started today, I’d probably set the rotation as Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, García, Domingo Germán and Michael King. They’ll need to add at least one solid starter to that mix.

We at Yanks Go Yard would like to thank Bryan for taking the time to sit down and answer a few questions. You can follow him on Twitter @BryanHoch and read all of his stuff on Yankees.com.

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