4 Unforgivable mistakes the Yankees could make this offseason

3. Trading Luke Voit to Improve…Something?

Want to add a gaping hole to the Yankees for no reason whatsoever? Trade Luke Voit!

As far as fan-created rumors go, trading Luke Voit feels like the ultimate Sam Presti “gotcha” move. “Sure, the Yankees have an MVP candidate playing first base in his first year of arbitration, but think of all the draft picks and prospects the 2025 Yankees could have if they traded him!”

Every 18-year-old on the internet is obsessed with having an elite farm system. That’s awesome. But we don’t hang banners for Somerset Patriots championships, and it’s not wise to jettison an inexpensive gem you found on the open market just to kick the can down the line and attempt to roll the dice again.

Voit has been integral to the Yankees lineup in every healthy game he’s played, proving over a dominant 213-game sample that he is not a fluke. His batted ball data, ridiculous power, and unquantifiable emotional contributions have all been a massive part of the Yanks’ rise, and besides, there’s no first baseman waiting in the wings who can at all mimic his skill set.

Want to move DJ LeMahieu to first, Gleyber Torres to second and sign a shortstop? Great; you’re losing a 40-homer bat there, and you’re going to want to check with an extended LeMahieu first to see if he has any interest in making the shift.

If the Yankees trade Luke Voit, they’re going to spend the next five years looking for another Luke Voit. That should be reason enough not to “sell high” on someone who, instead, should enter 2021 as a top-five player on your entire vaunted roster. Armchair GMs should probably sit this one out.

2. Failing to Bring in Two Veteran Starters

The Yankees need two veteran starters. Whoever you like.

Admittedly, this one is easier said than done. The free agent market for veteran starters seems lighter than ever this year, and the Yankees can’t really afford a massive splurge. Trevor Bauer makes little to no sense, Marcus Stroman has returned to the Mets on a one-year deal, and that’s…well, those are the big names who haven’t already been here. Even Mike Minor’s already gone!

But if the Yanks enter 2021 attempting to “lean on the kids” to fill out the rotation, that would be a massive mistake. You’ve lived through a baseball season. Before you know it, you’ve got your eighth option starting a mid-April game, wondering how in the world so many people can get injured so quickly. So, who do you want your fill-in to be? Someone with the pedigree of Clarke Schmidt, or someone from Double-A who’s just excited to see the bright lights in person?

A rotation of Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino, Domingo German, Deivi Garcia, Jordan Montgomery, and Schmidt could be nice, in theory, if all those players have developed and hit their peak. But when you pair growing pains with potential actual pains, and these six are also the last line of defense, then it will become clear you’re not taking winning seriously.

Masahiro Tanaka could come back, theoretically. So could James Paxton on another “prove it” deal. The Yanks are showing interest in fellow Japanese veteran Tomoyuki Sugano, who’s also about to be posted. Garrett Richards has been an oft-discussed target. I could be convinced that any two options are the correct decision.

But I can’t be convinced that standing pat and banking on the kids, as Buck Showalter has suggested, would be prudent.

1. Letting DJ LeMahieu Walk — Without a Blockbuster in Place

The Yankees had better not let DJ LeMahieu go anywhere — at least, not without a king ready to take over shortstop.

It’s hard for Yankees fans not to be shortsighted about DJ LeMahieu, who is the platonic ideal of a leadoff hitter, and an utterly perfect fit in pinstripes.

I want to be right there with you on the rooftop, screaming, “Sign DJ!” into the dark night while my girlfriend corrals me with one arm and whispers, “I think maybe take it easy on the punch, my aunt is here.”

And the Yankees should sign DJ. It’ll be a mistake if they do not extend themselves slightly to do so. It’s that simple.

But retaining LeMahieu isn’t necessarily the be all, end all, and we have to take our blinders off and realize that there’s potentially more to it than committing long-term to both he and Gleyber Torres at shortstop.

Either a four- or five-year deal for LeMahieu, or a sly move to import the shortstop of the future, whether that’s Francisco Lindor, or one of Corey Seager, Carlos Correa, Trevor Story and Javier Baez next offseason. If LeMahieu leaves town and the next step of Brian Cashman’s plan is “Can Brian Roberts still fill in?” then that would be an unrepentant disaster.

I’m willing to theoretically accept LeMahieu’s departure if there’s something big waiting in the wings, and the Torres question does complicate things. The easiest solution, though, is simply signing the known quantity.

In that case, you don’t even open the door to disaster.

7 moves the Yankees must make after embarrassing playoff exit

The New York Yankees need to make a number of moves this offseason in order to end their playoff futility. Time to get to work, Brian Cashman.