4 big moves at Winter Meetings Yankees fans should be anticipating

The Winter Meetings begin on Sunday, and that’s when the ball will get rolling on various free agency/trade dealings. That’s the case almost every year, but with a limited class of free agents and high-profile trade candidates, it’s even more valid heading into the 2023 season.

As always, the New York Yankees are at the forefront of the discussion, but they’re faced with an Aaron Judge-sized conundrum they’re not particularly used to. When’s the last time something like this presented itself to the Yankees in a tumultuous offseason? Back in 2014 with Robinson Canó? The whole 2010 ordeal with Derek Jeter? Back in 2007 with Alex Rodriguez?

One could argue Judge’s case is vastly different than all of those, however. We’ll get to that later on.

As for other things that need to be taken care of, general manager Brian Cashman will undoubtedly be busy over the next couple weeks. He usually strikes in both big and small ways early on in December, and fans should expect a combination of both before the holidays.

What’s on the docket? What should Yankees fans be anticipating leading up to Sunday and through Wednesday night? We think we have an idea.

4 big moves Yankees fans should anticipate at the Winter Meetings

4. Gleyber Torres Trade

This is No. 4 because there’s somewhere around a 50-50 chance it happens. At the very least, traction will be gained on this front as Cashman gauges the market.

Gleyber Torres is currently playing winter ball in Venezuela after the Yankees reluctantly allowed it (they first said no, and then relented), so perhaps the team is trying to give him what he wants and get ahead of a trade as soon as possible in the event he has a poor showing or suffers an injury.

There are complications here, though. DJ LeMahieu is not healthy at the moment, and his status for Opening Day could be in jeopardy based on how his toe injury progresses/if he needs surgery. If he’s not going to be ready for 2023, it’ll be difficult for the Yankees to deal Torres, because that would mean Isiah Kiner-Falefa is still on the team/getting a ton of reps, or that Oswaldo Cabrera will be the starting second baseman and unable to be more of the super utility player that many envision him to be.

Then again, if the Yankees really need to clear some salary and address other areas of the roster, Torres is the No. 1 option to be traded. Though no longer an impressive/integral Yankee, he’s still a young, controllable asset other teams would covet.

Might be best to rip off the Band-Aid, move on, and sign a stopgap second base option who could fill in for DJLM for the time being, then be one of the last guys off the bench for the remainder of the season.