Yankees: 4 things the Bombers can learn from small-market teams

2. Use Resources for Smart Trades, Not Veteran Signings

The Yanks should make a greater effort to trade for less expensive young players with great potential and avoid taking chances on more costly free agents who already have played several years. Why pay free agents a lot of money over multiple years for their past performance? In the long run, it is more cost effective to obtain younger, less costly players with great potential.

Star players such as Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Mickey Mantle, Mariano Rivera, Aaron Judge, and others serve as excellent examples of what the team can achieve by developing their own players in-house.

Of course, in those rare instances when someone like a Reggie Jackson or a Gerrit Cole enters the free agency market, the Yankees must take out their wallet, outbid other teams, and sign him for an extended period.

Thus, the strategy is to plan for the long run by simultaneously acquiring outstanding young players from teams in constant flux and signing an extraordinary free agent when clearly warranted. Over time, the team’s money can then be used to retain the best young players and pay for the new star free agents.

Sadly, the club has spent too much money on veteran free agents who haven’t performed well and are injury-prone. Those who are not performing well or are often injured should be traded (if possible) to acquire young, promising players. At the same time, the Yanks have not done a great job identifying and acquiring truly outstanding young talent.