We have some information regarding the Yankees’ offseason plans. Woo!
It’s as clear as can be that the New York Yankees are taking their sweet old time this offseason and likely won’t make anything beyond a minor move until they know their fate with DJ LeMahieu. We don’t know when that will be, but at least we know what the team’s next move might be.
Starting pitching? Nope! Contact bat? Nope! Blockbuster trade? Probably not! Infield depth? Nah. It appears as if the Yankees will be looking at some of the big-name relievers once the DJ dust settles, and fans will be happy to know that may include Brad Hand and Archie Bradley.
With so much uncertainty behind Chad Green, Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman, this feels like a must, especially if there’s no comfortable rotation solution for general manager Brian Cashman and Co.
Here’s the latest from Dan Martin of the New York Post:
"“There’s a chance the Yankees could have a rotation on Opening Day of Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery, Domingo German, Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt.“All that uncertainty behind Cole could put more stress on a bullpen that by the end of 2020 wasn’t at its best.“That’s why some around the league believe the Yankees could go after another reliever — the quality of whom, of course, depends on the outcome of DJ LeMahieu’s free agency and how much the Yankees are willing to spend.“‘Guys are out ther who fit what they need,’ one AL executive said. ‘It’s just a matter of how much they’re willing to spend.'”"
But perhaps even if LeMahieu costs them close to the top of their budget on that front, they could go after a higher-priced reliever, based on what Cashman said earlier this week.
OK, maybe a little extra spending is in our future! But we won’t believe it until we see it. The fact of the matter is additions need to be made after the losses of Tommy Kahnle and Jonathan Holder, in addition to the disappearing act by Adam Ottavino. What was once a stacked unit is seemingly scrambling for notable additions heading into 2021.
And assuming LeMahieu doesn’t cost the maximum five-year, $100 million contract we’ve been seeing all over the place, perhaps a three-year deal for a guy like Hand could be in the Yankees’ future.
Yankees: 3 missed opportunities that doomed NYY for 2021
The New York Yankees have been somewhat doomed by passing on these three impactful decisions over the past several seasons.