Ranking Yankees' free agents as offseason officially arrives

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It’s not expected to be an exciting offseason for the New York Yankees, which puts fans in a tough spot. There’s not much else the team can (or will) do other than keep their star players (Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, Andrew Benintendi, Jameson Taillon) and hope for some bounce backs as well as limited injuries in 2023.

Or … Judge leaves and everything falls apart. The only way fans will be able to feel true happiness is if Judge and Rizzo are retained and the team opts to blow past the luxury tax threshold with some other marquee signings or trade acquisitions. That’s not likely to happen, though.

Then again, New York was winning at a record pace when all was going smoothly. The trade deadline moves were supposed to simply fortify areas of weakness but they all suffered injuries or were limited as a result. Had one or two things broken the Yankees’ way in the injury department, the entire tone here might be much different.

In the end, the depth wasn’t enough. The ability to come through in clutch situations disappeared when October arrived. The managerial decisions made in a number of the playoff games were detrimental. There are still plenty of things holding this team back.

But the first order of business will be taking care of the guys who hit the open market after the World Series. It’s imperative general manager Brian Cashman and the front office set the tone properly.

Ranking the Yankees’ free agents as MLB offseason officially arrives

Aroldis Chapman #54 of the New York Yankees (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

11. Aroldis Chapman

Goodbye (AOL voice).

10. Marwin Gonzalez

Must we elaborate here? He barely played. When he did, he usually only offered defensive help. He ate a postseason roster spot for a time and prevented Oswald Peraza from getting more reps. The Yankees can move forward with better, younger options. Get the 2017 Astros’ imprint off this roster.

9. Zack Britton

Zack Britton was held onto in 2022 for two reasons. The first was that he’s among the big wigs in the MLB Players Association and he was one year away from reaching his 10-5 rights. Had the Yankees ditched him, it would’ve made for an unsavory story. The second was that he underwent a less invasive Tommy John surgery that allowed him to return in 8-10 months rather than the standard 12-15.

Well, he returned alright. He was bad. He’s cost the Yankees so much money since 2019 and there have been more bad memories than good. No shot he’s back as the team tries to rebuild its bullpen.

8. Chad Green

Devastating for Chad Green. The right-hander needed Tommy John surgery in June. He’s more than likely out for 2024. His contract year was this past season. Couldn’t have been worse luck.

Green was a valuable reliever for the Yankees for most of his time in the Bronx, but his 2021 showing really tested the fans’ patience. Maybe he returns on a small two-year deal, but the Yankees aren’t worrying about 2024. They need to win now. Chad might be gone.

Miguel Castro #30 of the New York Yankees (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

7. Miguel Castro

The Joely Rodriguez for Miguel Castro swap was pretty much a nothing deal. But Castro was OK for the Yankees and was useful when he was healthy. His sweeping slider is an asset. He’s a bit of a wild card coming out of the bullpen. He’s either whiffing guys or he’s all over the place. He can work himself in and out of trouble. He finished with a 4.03 ERA, 3.84 FIP, 1.45 WHIP and 31 strikeouts in 29 innings.

It’s unclear what his market will be or if the Yankees will be involved, but if he could be had on the cheap, we don’t see why Brian Cashman wouldn’t make it happen.

6. Matt Carpenter

Matt Carpenter was a Yankees legend who quickly turned into a footnote thanks to a broken foot in August that had him rehabbing up until the start of the playoffs. When he was signed away from the Texas Rangers in May, the Yankees struck gold for two months. He hit .305 with a 1.138 OPS, 15 homers and 37 RBI in 47 games. Unbelievable.

But then he went 1-for-10 with seven strikeouts in the postseason — his first action since suffering the injury. It’s not a bad idea to bring him back for depth purposes, but some other teams might be willing to give him a bigger role. The St. Louis Cardinals, his former team, have been pegged as a destination. There will be competition on the market. Don’t think the Yankees get involved if there’s even a small bidding war.

5. Jameson Taillon

One of the most reliable and effective starting pitchers in the league, Jameson Taillon will be a free agent after two seasons in the Bronx. He had a wildly up-and-down 2021 and then found consistency in 2022 — not exactly the No. 2-caliber type the Yankees were looking for, but it was very good.

The right-hander went 14-5 with a 3.91 ERA, 3.94 FIP, 1.13 WHIP and 151 strikeouts in 32 starts (177.1 innings). The Yankees said they would like to bring him back. It’s tough to gauge his market among the league’s other starters who will hit free agency.

If the price gets too high, the Yankees might not be able to stay in the race because they need to retain Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo, and hopefully this next guy.

Andrew Benintendi #18 of the New York Yankees (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

4. Andrew Benintendi

The Yankees are also interested in bringing back Andrew Benintendi, who played only 33 games with the team after the trade deadline due to a broken hamate bone that required surgery. He didn’t make it back in time for the postseason run, which undoubtedly affected the Yankees’ ability to be more competitive. The plan was to have Benny leading off, so when Judge’s run as the leadoff man was over, the lineup was in flux.

There’s a need in left field (and for general outfield depth anyway), so Benintendi has a good chance to return, especially after Cashman echoed that sentiment on Friday.

3. Luis Severino

Luis Severino is coming back. Cashman said the team is picking up his $15 million team option for the 2023 season. It’s a no-brainer after the right-hander went 7-3 with a 3.18 ERA, 3.70 FIP, 1.00 WHIP and 112 strikeouts in 19 starts (102 innings). He’s on here because that’s not official yet. Covering all the bases.

2. Anthony Rizzo

Anthony Rizzo is likely to opt out of his deal ($16 million player option for the 2023 season), as reported by The Athletic. No surprise. Yankees fans knew it was going to happen unless Rizzo suffered an injury or had a terrible offensive campaign.

But he provided stable defense at first and tied a career high with 32 home runs. In 130 games, he slashed .224/.338/.480 with a 131 OPS+. It was his best season since 2019. Cashman also reiterated the Yankees will be engaged with him if he opts out as the goal is to bring him back alongside his best bud …

1. Aaron Judge

Not sure you need the rundown here. Aaron Judge needs to be paid. Everybody in the world knows that. He just put together one of the 25 best offensive seasons in history and set a new AL home run record with 62 blasts. The last two years, he’s been the Yankees only constant force on both sides of the ball. He’s one of the most valuable players in the league, even when he was missing time with injuries from 2018-2020.

The “problem” is he’s entering his age-31 season and there’s a “risk” with a long-term deal. Sadly, it doesn’t matter what it takes. The Yankees can’t lose him unless they want to tear down the operation and kiss millions upon millions of dollars in revenue goodbye.

The price is going up even when he’s not playing.

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