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3 DFA’d targets Yankees should sign after 40-man shuffle

By Adam Weinrib |
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 24: Hunter Renfroe #11 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning in Game Four of the 2020 MLB World Series at Globe Life Field on October 24, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 24: Hunter Renfroe #11 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning in Game Four of the 2020 MLB World Series at Globe Life Field on October 24, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
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The New York Yankees have an entirely new pool of players to plunder from now that the 40-man roster deadline has passed.

The Yankees luckily got through “Rule 5 Protection Day” without having to make any extremely difficult decisions.

The prospects we anticipated they’d protect got added to the roster (Oswald Peraza and three young pitchers), and they weren’t forced to shove any veterans into the ether in order to make room.

There were a few other teams across MLB, though, that let some veterans slip away in the process, providing the Yankees with some all-new depth options, some of which are more intriguing than others.

With all due respect to Luis Perdomo of the San Diego Padres and Glenn Sparkman of the Kansas City Royals, there are some higher-profile players who are now on the open market and would look nice at the margins of the Yanks’ roster.

After all, it’s just the veteran’s minimum, right?

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: Renato Nunez #39 of the Baltimore Orioles swings at a pitch against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 08, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: Renato Nunez #39 of the Baltimore Orioles swings at a pitch against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 08, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images) /

3. Renato Núñez

The Orioles’ loss could be the Yankees’ gain with Renato Núñez.

Fresh off torturing the Yankees, the Bronx Bombers can now bring slugging Orioles third baseman Renato Núñez onto their own roster. Just like that! Is this real life?

The versatility downgrade from guys like Thairo Estrada and Tyler Wade would be significant, but Núñez is far less of a defensive liability than Miguel Andújar, and has shown an explosive power bat at third base over the past few years. So is there room here for Núñez to step into a void left by Andújar, perhaps in trade?

The 26-year-old slugged a remarkable 31 homers in a 2019 season we probably didn’t properly contextualize, considering how brutal the Orioles were on the whole. Even in the shortened 60-game, he still rocketed 12 dingers.

Núñez especially mashes lefties, though, which might be his calling card as he ages. In 2019, he slashed .270/.326/.510 against southpaws, knocking 13 bombs in 221 plate appearances. That’ll play. After all, how many times can you recall Núñez sitting on an inside fastball and plating it deep into the left-field seats over the past few years of divisional competition?

We weren’t expecting to be advocating for the addition of Núñez because we weren’t expecting him to be available. But he’s going to go somewhere and make an impact, so why not consider making it here?

Trevor Williams #34 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on September 23, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
Trevor Williams #34 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on September 23, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

2. Trevor Williams

Could the Yankees bet on a bounce-back for Pirates righty Trevor Williams?

Steady Pirates righty Trevor Williams is now two years removed from his most effective MLB peak, though he’s remained an effective tweeter throughout his struggles.

But did he show enough in 2018 for the Yankees to consider offering him an olive branch this offseason?

Though the strikeout numbers weren’t there (126 in 170.2 innings pitched), Williams was extremely effective in ’18, going 14-10 with a 3.11 ERA and only 146 hits allowed in his age-26 season. At the time, he was an attractive midseason trade target; however, interested teams are now quite glad they didn’t pay the Pirates’ likely tremendous price.

Perhaps in a spot of payback for Pittsburgh’s massive ask in 2017’s Gerrit Cole trade talks, the Yankees should now try to nab the back-end starter for cash alone following two down years.

His 2019 was a struggle (7-9, 5.38), but his 2020 campaign was an outright disaster, featuring a league-leading 15 homers and 6.18 ERA. Something happened to Williams between ’18 and ’19, and you have to wonder if MLB’s “new baseball” forced him to experience a power surge. Remarkably good at keeping the ball in the ballpark in his breakout season (15 homers in 170.2 innings pitched), he slipped tremendously in 2019 (27 bombs in 145.2) before every wheel fell off the truck in ’20.

We don’t entirely know what to make of Williams, who showed a propensity for remarkable efficiency without lighting up the radar gun two years ago, only to watch it all collapse over the course of two tough years. But is he worth a flyer? Of course.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 13: Hunter Renfroe #11 of the Tampa Bay Rays makes a diving catch to out Kyle Tucker #30 of the Houston Astros during the eighth inning in Game Three of the American League Championship Series at PETCO Park on October 13, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 13: Hunter Renfroe #11 of the Tampa Bay Rays makes a diving catch to out Kyle Tucker #30 of the Houston Astros during the eighth inning in Game Three of the American League Championship Series at PETCO Park on October 13, 2020 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

1. Hunter Renfroe

Could the Rays’ loss be the Yankees’ gain with Hunter Renfroe?

Do not impugn Hunter Renfroe as a potential DH — the man proved throughout the ALCS against the Astros that he can play a mean right field, basket-catching with the best of ’em.

And that’s what makes him an interesting Yankees target — well, that and the fact that the American League champion Rays have decided they’re too cheap to keep their depth pieces. Don’t even get us started on Mike Zunino, cut loose several weeks ago and someone the Yanks should probably keep one eye on, too.

Renfroe hit just .156 with eight bombs in 2020, but like Núñez, this is a 30-homer bat from the previous season who had a difficult 60-game small sample size. Renfroe’s true talent is as a remarkable power bat, lefty masher, and solid fourth outfielder who can hold his own in space.

In spacious San Diego in 2019, Renfroe hit 11 homers in 113 at-bats against lefties, OBP’ing .331 with a .239 average. In relatively limited opportunities, Renfroe proved he could play the role Andruw Jones did for the Yankees back in 2011 — oddly, they’ve got similar swings. Check ’em out, you’ll see I’m right.

It’s clear the Rays think they can fill in Renfroe’s production by promoting from their generic pool of offensive prospects, and they probably can. After all, it keeps happening. But thanks to Tampa’s financial flimsiness, the Yanks have another lefty-mashing option approaching in their rearview mirror.

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