5 former All-Stars Yankees can still target this offseason

The New York Yankees-Carlos Rodón rumors sure are fun/encouraging, but such a pairing is far from a guarantee. Fans won’t believe it until there’s a presser to introduce the left-hander where he puts on the pinstripes.

Though general manager Brian Cashman and owner Hal Steinbrenner do “spend,” they’re far from Steve Cohen territory. They’re far from the usual Los Angeles Dodgers territory, too. One would describe it has a healthy payroll that never really goes over the top/exercises its true strength, at least in recent seasons.

Though 2023 might be different after Aaron Judge’s nine-year, $360 million contract, we’re still not going to rule out the Yankees making some budget-conscious moves to round out the roster in the event the luxury tax is a real concern for them.

Lucky for Cash, there are a number of former All-Stars out there looking for a new home. And we’d argue all of them have plenty left in the tank or a role to play on a title-contending team.

It’s a minor way the Yankees can “upgrade,” even though it’s not the preferable way to do so.

The Yankees can still target these five former All-Stars in free agency

5. Omar Narvaez

This spot was reserved for Mike Zunino before he signed with the Guardians. Bummer. Instead, we have 2021 All-Star Omar Narvaez to push on you!

The former Brewer dealt with injuries in 2022, which limited him to 84 games. But he has a track record of being productive. He logged a 119 OPS+ in 2018 with the White Sox (97 games) and 2019 with the Mariners (132 games). Then his awesome first half in 2021 earned him a nod for the Midsummer Classic.

He’s not exactly the greatest defender, but he’s improved in that department from both a DRS and dWAR perspective. He’s got pop, as proven by his 22-HR 2019 season, despite the juiced ball being a factor. At this point, it’s hard to argue he isn’t a better option than Kyle Higashioka, who’s taken a step back on defense and hasn’t exactly proven his “pop” is here to stay (or his bat in general).

Long story short, Narvaez has multiple seasons as an above-average starter under his belt. This would help the Yankees.

4. Adam Frazier

After being traded from the Pirates to the Padres to the Mariners in the span of just months, Adam Frazier pretty much fell off the face of the earth. Or maybe this is just exactly who he was all along. Despite impressive campaigns in 2018 and 2021 (his All-Star year), Frazier’s had a lot of mediocre-at-best showings, and a couple of alarming below-average ones.

But as a bench player who can log reps at all three outfield spots and both middle infield spots, couldn’t the Yankees figure out a way to benefit from that impressive versatility if they go bargain hunting?

Hey, maybe they get the ~.275 hitter who can log 30 doubles. If not, and they happen to get the 80 OPS+ version of Frazier, he’ll at least be a defensive asset in the event the team gets plagued by injuries (which always happens).

Frazier is used to being a starter, so if he has to hold down such a role, it wouldn’t be foreign to him. And if the Yankees get rid of Gleyber Torres, they’re going to need more middle infield insurance, depending upon the corresponding move.

We wouldn’t say we endorse a Frazier signing, but we can see how it might make sense in a very specific circumstance.

3. Taylor Rogers

Tommy Kahnle was the first bullpen domino to fall for the Yankees … but that was it during the Winter Meetings. That unit still needs more help (and more lefties!) and Taylor Rogers, the former closer for the Padres and Twins, is right there for the taking!

You want him for cheap? You want him in lower-leverage innings? Great, you can have him at your preferred price and put him in whatever role you want after his mixed bag of a 2022. Rogers had 28 saves, a 2.34 FIP and 1.11 WHIP with 48 strikeouts in 41.1 innings with San Diego in the first half, then saw his ERA jump from 4.35 to 5.48 with Milwaukee. His FIP rose to 5.07. His WHIP went to 1.30. His strikeout numbers remained impressive, but he was absolutely shelled in his 23 innings as a Brewer.

That didn’t help his free agency case entering his age-32 season. Plus, his peripheral metrics were concerning (hard-hit percentage, fastball spin, barrel percentage, chase rate and expected slugging were all below average).

Maybe there’s a Matt Blake Mechanics Tweak to be made here? Rogers’ extension was a glaring issue (seventh percentile) in 2022. A little adjustment there could have him return to his 2021 All-Star ways.

2. Michael Wacha

Let’s kick the Red Sox while they’re down, no? Come on! Not only would such a move subtract from a rival, but it would get rid of an option who absolutely kicks the Yankees’ a–.

If Rodón slips through the Yankees’ fingertips, Michael Wacha could be a great option to stash in the back end of the rotation, and maybe there’s a world where he’s the No. 4/5 starter while Domingo German pops in if Wacha suffers an injury (which has been a bit of an issue since 2018).

The 2015 All-Star is far from his top-of-rotation days, but his 3.32 ERA, 4.14 FIP and 1.12 WHIP in 23 starts last year is encouraging for a cost-effective rotation option that can give you ~120 innings. Would we prefer an ace? Absolutely. But there’s only one left and it’s not a guarantee. Would you rather have Wacha making 20+ starts or German, if it came down to it?

He’s got two years of experience pitching in the AL East and owns a 3.02 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 56 strikeouts in 10 games (eight starts), totaling 50.2 innings against New York. Though he’s been bad against the Rays, O’s and Blue Jays, the division matchups in 2023 will decrease from 19 to 13 games per opponent. The Yankees can strategize when they want to deploy him if worse comes to worst.

For somewhere between $8-$10 million, it’s a good backup plan in the event the trade market stinks or Rodón secures the bag elsewhere.