3 veteran free agent fits that would greatly help Yankees clubhouse morale

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 26: Jon Lester #34 of the Chicago Cubs during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 26, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 26: Jon Lester #34 of the Chicago Cubs during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on September 26, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

1. Yadier Molina

We know we’ve talked about this a lot, but the Yankees and Yadi are a perfect match.

We don’t want to beat the dead horse … but Yadier Molina is perfect for the Yankees in so many ways. He’s one of the most decorated veterans in the sport right now. He would solve the team’s problems with Gary Sanchez behind the plate. He’d be able to play a huge role in mentoring the young rotation. His desire to play two more seasons fits the Yankees’ championship window.

Yadi has very clearly been the outspoken leader on the Cardinals for years now, which is why they paid him big bucks over the last few seasons. But now that he’s a free agent at the same time the Cardinals largely lack an identity, perhaps Molina wants a change of scenery and one last shot to win a World Series before he hangs up his cleats in two years.

A pairing with Molina would be the priciest one out of any of these by far, but it’d be worth every dollar for the Yankees. He also provides an aggressive, contact bat as well as ample postseason experience, which are two other characteristics this roster desperately needs.

While he’s not the defensive force he once was, he’s still worlds better than Sanchez and has logged only ONE year with a negative DRS, which came in 2018 (-1, not even bad!). Any semblance of consistency behind the plate is a marked improvement for the Yankees, and many believe this is one of two moves that need to be made in order to really make that World Series leap. His winning attitude and competitive edge in the clubhouse would speak volumes.

It almost makes too much sense, which scares us.