Yankees: 3 offseason moves Brian Cashman just hinted at

Hell of a New York Yankees press conference on Tuesday, huh?

Say what you will about this franchise, but they really know exactly what the fan base wants to wake up to the morning after their arch rivals the Boston Red Sox bludgeoned the Houston Astros to take a 2-1 series lead, two wins away from a World Series trip: an Aaron Boone extension.

And a long one, too! Not a short one. A long one. Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman: the partnership that sort of just … exists.

So, what’s next for the Yankees? It doesn’t take an elite breadcrumb follower to read Cashman’s press conference as an endorsement of a rather large upcoming roster shuffle.

We’ll believe it when we see it, of course, but last week’s coaching overhaul (the release of Phil Nevin and Marcus Thames), which clearly wasn’t Aaron Boone’s decision, seems to indicate the team is serious about making changes. Cashman’s vehement defense of Hal Steinbrenner’s spending (“Don’t you ever question this man!”) makes you think he believes he’s had more than enough money to work with in years past, and he’s right … even though the team’s revenue indicates we could certainly be pressing a more powerful button here.

But that’s neither here nor there. Bluster aside, actions speak louder than words, and it seems like a number of prominent changes will occur within the next few months, even if the manager’s staying.

Will the front office finally find enough patches to officially tape this operation back together? Or will we see more of the same? Injured starters who might be able to provide 120 innings and return by May, supplemented with swing-and-miss sluggers whose careers have gone stale in their previous homes? Mix in questionable behavior, and you’ve got Miguel Sano in a nutshell.

We’ll have to wait until after the World Series, when the confetti will fall on a Dodgers behemoth, underwhelming Braves team, downright evil Astros club, or the mediocre Red Sox, who sported the same record as the Yankees but got lucky in October, something that never, ever happens to us.

Here’s what we’re thinking after Tuesday’s showcase, though.

3 Yankees moves Brian Cashman hinted at in his Tuesday press conference.

3. Corey Seager — or Someone — Will Replace Gleyber Torres at SS

It was hard to ignore the loudest suggestion from Cash: the team went into 2021 believing Gleyber Torres could be their starting shortstop. That was, officially, the wrong idea.

According to the GM on Tuesday, Torres is officially “better served” at second base. That’s not what you say if the experiment is still ongoing. That’s also not what you say if you’re actively pursuing Torres-related trades. In that case, you’d make a little note about how he made great strides at the position (even though that’s not true).

Combining Cashman’s obvious calls for change on the roster with his acknowledgement that Torres is done at short, it’s not hard to connect the dots to a high-dollar shortstop addition (as well as Gio Urshela’s potential departure/demotion, considering DJ LeMahieu is certainly coming back).

Where are we pulling Seager from, specifically? Jack Curry, who almost always knows where the organization is leaning and often tries to lead us, the uneducated, along for the ride, mentioned the Dodgers shortstop following Tuesday’s action. Though the 27-year-old might not be a shortstop forever, that isn’t necessarily a death sentence for a Yankees marriage. Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza both seem like potential long-term options, at which point LeMehieu can transition back to a super-utility role, sending Seager to third base.

This is still a dream, but in Curry we trust. There will be a new shortstop in 2021. Money will be spent. This is easy to connect.

1. Gary Sánchez is Staying Put

No, Cashman didn’t outright state that Gary Sánchez will be the recipient of a shiny new four-year deal, nor did he tender him a new contract in front of everyone at the podium just to make Yankee fans’ blood boil.

What he did do, though, was endorse Sánchez’s defensive strides, something we didn’t really see during a 2021 campaign still pockmarked by costly errors and a lower-than-normal caught stealing percentage.

When asked if Sánchez was expected to be the starting catcher in 2022, he also waffled, stating,”We’ll see … ultimately we’ll have to evaluate the marketplace at every position.”

Who wants to bet that, after he’s done evaluating the market, he eventually settles on one more year with the man he called one of the “best offensive catchers in baseball” on Tuesday afternoon?

Two things can be true: Sánchez really struggled and regressed in the second half of 2021, and he’s also one of the best offensive catchers this game has to offer. It’s true. Honestly. It really is.

Who else is out there for us to examine? Tucker Barnhart of the Reds has a similarly-priced, possibly-declined team option. He’s never posted a league-average OPS+; his highest mark is 95, posted in 2017. It’s safe to say he’s a non-factor offensively, and would be better served as Sánchez’s backup despite his elite receiving skills. Who else do we have to sift through? Yan Gomes? Martin Maldonado and his 58 OPS+?

The Yankees can look, as they claimed they would, but they won’t find an obvious improvement on Sánchez. Cashman’s faint praise was enough to assure us they still believe in him.

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