FanSided

Yankees: 3 free agents NYY must avoid this offseason

By Adam Weinrib |
CINCINNATI, OH - AUGUST 30: Jose Quintana #42 of the Chicago Cubs pitches during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 30, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. All players are wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson. The day honoring Jackie Robinson, traditionally held on April 15, was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - AUGUST 30: Jose Quintana #42 of the Chicago Cubs pitches during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on August 30, 2020 in Cincinnati, Ohio. All players are wearing #42 in honor of Jackie Robinson. The day honoring Jackie Robinson, traditionally held on April 15, was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
1 of 3
Next

The Yankees have to get creative in free agency this offseason, but not THIS creative. These guys should be no-nos all around.

We already know the Yankees are going to have to get creative this offseason to meet their various goals, including a DJ LeMahieu extension and the import of a number of free agent starters.

That means, more so than ever before, the team can’t whiff on anyone. No mid-range flyers on starters who are past their prime. No bets on numbers that haven’t improved since 2016 suddenly improving. No wild swings, unless they’re dirt cheap.

With that in mind, these three free agent mistakes should be absolute no-nos for a team that can’t afford to take chances anymore. There’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal, but there’s definitely such a thing as a bad two-year contract. And in this economy (so we’re being told)? There actually, kind of, sort of might be such a thing as a bad one-year deal. Don’t kill the messenger!

All three of these guys are theoretically thought of as in-their-prime contributors, but we implore the Yankees not to give them incentive-laden short deals or, more likely, multi-year errors in judgment.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 26: Jurickson Profar #10 of the San Diego Padres looks on between innings against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on September 26, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 26: Jurickson Profar #10 of the San Diego Padres looks on between innings against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on September 26, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

3. Jurickson Profar

Some team is going to get wooed into overpaying Jurickson Profar based on his versatility. It shouldn’t be the Yankees.

Jurickson Profar is going to end up playing for way too many MLB teams over the course of his career.

Eternally known as the former No. 1 prospect in all of Major League Baseball, Profar is going to keep getting second, third and fourth chances forever. So far, he’s still a toolsy tantalizer, following solid years in Oakland and San Diego, and he’s about to get his first shot in a while at multi-year security.

Odds are high the 27-year-old Profar will get a higher sum than you’re probably assuming after a very good year with the Padres (1.1 WAR, .278, seven homers, only seven stolen bases). If he nets a three- or four-year deal worth about $14 million annually, that might turn out to be decent value, but it could also backfire spectacularly.

Most importantly, he’s not DJ LeMahieu and never will be — and if he arrives in the Bronx, you know exactly who didn’t secure the bag. And that’s not pretty.

Profar will be somebody’s high-volatility signing this offseason, with the notion that he’ll be able to play third, second, short, and the outfield. Whoever gives him his cash will be, likely, universally praised. We sort of know how the baseball analysis market works at this point.

But in 2019, Profar hit just .218 alongside his 20 homers in Oakland. His plate discipline is lacking. His speed doesn’t translate into high stolen base numbers. Somebody’s going to dip their toes into this market, but the Yankees have far more important versatile infielders to focus on.

SAN DIEGO, CA – AUGUST 3: Kirby Yates #39 and Austin Hedges #18 of the San Diego Padres celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 at Petco Park August 3, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA – AUGUST 3: Kirby Yates #39 and Austin Hedges #18 of the San Diego Padres celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 at Petco Park August 3, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

2. Kirby Yates

The Yankees are going to look at reliever options, but unless he’d take a one-year deal, Kirby Yates is not the move.

Prior to Kirby Yates‘ 2020 season, we thought it was a solid idea to throw the spotlight on the 34-year-old as a 2020-21 offseason Yankees target.

Unfortunately, his shortened campaign was a certified Paxton-esque disaster.

Though he didn’t need Tommy John surgery, Yates pitched in six games, posted an unsightly 12.46 ERA, and shut things down to remove some bone chips from his right elbow. Way to go into free agency on a high note!

However, much of this 60-game campaign is likely to be forgotten by teams looking for free agent reliever help. Though the market will be more constricted than ever this year, Yates’ spectacular 2019 season should be more than enough to nab him a moderately priced two-year deal.

But with a razor-thin margin for error, the Yankees shouldn’t go more than one season for the Hawaiian righty, who they’ve already seen in their own backyard with underwhelming results. As a Yankee, Yates threw 41.1 innings of 5.23 ERA baseball in 2016 as a 29-year-old.

We loved his ’19 season for the ages, in which the sinker specialist whiffed 101 in 60.2, posting a 1.19 ERA. Those are jaw-on-the-floor numbers. At this point, though, he’d mean much more to a team like the Padres looking to maintain a fan favorite and attempting to spend a bit extravagantly this offseason.

For bargain shoppers, there’s a lot of regression risk factored in here.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 27: Jose Quintana #62 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 27, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 27: Jose Quintana #62 of the Chicago Cubs pitches against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 27, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

1. Jose Quintana

Remember when the Yankees ‘let Quintana get away’ to the White Sox? There’s no reason to rectify that mistake now.

The Yankees need Jose Quintana like I need a Greg Bird reunion.

Quintana has grown more frustrating over the past few years ever since he crossed Chicago in exchange for Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease — that really happened, and helped usher in the end of the Cubs’ window.

He hasn’t been the same high-strikeout lefty since 2017, surrendering 25 and 20 homers in his past two full years with diminishing stuff. And when a regressive fastball isn’t hitting the corners anymore, that’s how you end up with 4.03 and 4.68 ERAs in ’18 and ’19, coupled with scary whiff totals (158 in 174.1 innings in 2018, 152 in 171.0 the next season). Is this really going to be someone’s multi-year deal target?

Let teams like the Red Sox aim for regressing soft-tossers like Quintana. This is such a high-floor, low-ceiling potential acquisition, and isn’t the kind of (semi-expensive!) move that supposed contenders should make right about now.

Signing Quintana this offseason is what the 17th-best team in baseball does to ensure they can maybe recoup someone’s 26th-best prospect at the deadline. Yippee. We’re out.

Next
Home / Yankees Rumors

Schedule