Yankees: 6 big whiffs from Brian Cashman before lockout

2. Corey Seager/Marcus Semien/Javier Baez

Sure, Trevor Story and Carlos Correa are still available, but what makes you think the Yankees will pay more money than they need to after a down year for Story (plus previous elbow issues) OR dish out the largest contract of the offseason for Correa? If you think that, then great. We like where your head’s at. However, there’s just no indication that’s going to happen.

Was Corey Seager too pricey? At 10 years and $325 million, you could argue yes. But you know the theme here. The Yankees are supposed to spend in a prohibitive manner. That’s a big aspect (or at least once was) of their competitive advantage. Seager, a lefty bat, would’ve helped diversify the lineup as well. In a worst-case scenario, he could’ve been moved to third base to make room for one of the Yankees’ top shortstop prospects, who they reportedly value a ton.

But what about Semien and Baez? Seven years and $175 million for Semien and six years and $140 million for Baez really don’t sound that bad for elite versatile defenders and threatening bats. They can both play second base and shortstop, which helps with the Yankees’ potential flexibility. Neither are 10-year deals, either!

You want Anthony Volpe or Oswald Peraza at short in 2023 and 2024? Great, Semien and Baez could’ve filled the gap at short and then maybe moved over to second base (do we think Gleyber Torres will be here beyond 2023? Really not sure about that). They both hit for power (as above-average hitters) and can steal bases.

If you want to talk about shrewd spending for a big market, this might’ve passed the test. And either addition would’ve positioned the team to make both short-term and long-term adjustments with their middle infield.

We’ll wait to see what happens with Story and Correa — both of whom cannot play another position to our knowledge. So what would be the plan with the top prospects if we added one of these high-profile options?