3 Yankees free agents who definitely won’t return in 2023

There’s your season. The New York Yankees have been swept by the Houston Astros in the ALCS. All fans can wonder is how things could’ve been different if manager Aaron Boone didn’t blow Game 1 in Houston with his terrible pitching decision.

Then again, the offense didn’t show up until Game 4. The defense never really showed up. The pitching was exhausted and held its own, but didn’t have enough support from the bats or gloves. A horrible recipe for success in October.

As New Yorkers shift their attention to rooting for the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, the Yankees will be looking ahead to 2023. This roster will see a lot of change. Aaron Judge is a free agent. The bullpen needs reinforcements. Some players under contract could be on the way out via trade.

But others will simply … float away. The Yankees have a number of impending free agents that won’t be back. There will be no discussion about it, either. These guys either had no valuable role the last couple seasons or will be too pricey when taking into account other areas of the roster that need to be taken care of first and foremost.

Free agency officially begins after the conclusion of the World Series, and that will be the last moment these guys are officially members of the New York Yankees.

3 Yankees players who won’t be on 2023 roster

3. Aroldis Chapman

Entering 2022, most Yankee fans hoped Aroldis Chapman was entering his final campaign in the Bronx and would be chasing his next (and likely final) high-dollar reliever contract elsewhere.

Midway through 2022, the conversation had shifted to hoping against hope that the struggling Chapman wouldn’t be offered a one-year, buy-low flyer by the Yankees, the organization that had consistently coddled him since 2016.

But now? Even the Yankees are clearly finished with Chapman’s misdeeds. The Missile was asked to report to a mandatory workout prior to New York’s ALDS battle with the Guardians, but reportedly refused unless he was assured a spot on the playoff roster. No can do, kemosabe, especially not after a 4.46 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and 1.000 disgusting tattoo infections during a laughably bad regular season.

If Chapman hadn’t burned that Yankee bridge, he might even have made the playoff roster while Scott Effross went under the knife. He probably would’ve! Instead, he elected to stay home and officially end his Yankees career.

No need to worry about New York dumpster diving and reuniting with Chappy. This book’s been closed by the man himself, even though it never should’ve been opened in the first place.

1. Andrew Benintendi

After coming over from Kansas City in exchange for three intriguing pitching prospects who were buried in the Yankees system, Andrew Benintendi started slowly (to put it mildly) before eventually finding his footing and clutching up for a few key wins before his wrist betrayed him and fractured mid-swing.

Still, Benintendi enjoyed somewhat of a mid-career renaissance, and would be a nice piece for the Yankees’ outfield moving forward on a two-or-three-year deal, even with plenty of mouths to feed out there (and Oswaldo Cabrera firmly inserting himself into the conversation).

That said, there are plenty of factors working against a reunion here. For one thing … uh, how do we put this … the outfielder who wears No. 99 will probably be the Yankees’ negotiating priority, first and foremost. The Yankees will probably not be eager to prep a three-year, $45 million offer for another outfielder while waiting on Aaron Judge’s decision, especially one who’s been mostly a luxury item during his short time in the Bronx.

Benintendi probably won’t want to wait for Judge to reset the market, either, as plenty of mid-tier teams will be clamoring for his services, likely at a slightly higher rate than what the Yankees might offer anyway. The 28-year-old would immediately improve the young Guardians, as well as his hometown St. Louis Cardinals.

Benny won’t be a sexy signing this offseason, but will be a solid value play. The Yankees will probably come up short here, if they even have the time to try at all.

Ranking players Yankees should consider signing to contract extensions

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