Nationals upend Yankees' ideal offseason plan with early pre-lockout extension

While the New York Yankees technically could still pry Jacob Young away from the Washington Nationals, it's now highly unlikely they'll be able to snag the player they've long coveted. Instead of entertaining trade overtures for Young after an early offseason frenzy of Yankees hints, the Nats will instead extend Young, as first reported by FanSided's MLB insider Robert Murray on Friday.

Young was thought to be, in the eyes of scouts AND newsmakers, a solid alternative to Steven Kwan on the trade market for the Yankees this offseason. He was said to be a player they've held past interest in, and it felt like good odds they were planning to revisit such interest.

Yankees, Nationals aren't perfect trade fits after Jacob Young news

If they were looking to, say, supplement Spencer Jones instead of replace him entirely, the speedy defensive specialist with an uptick in second-half power would've been a nice fit. The Nationals were a willing trade partner this past summer for Luis Garcia Jr., plundering the Yankees' pitching stock. Why wouldn't they be again?

Well ... this is why they wouldn't be again. They don't view Young the way they viewed Garcia Jr. and Curtis Mead last summer. The potential pitching addition wouldn't be worth the squeeze (or the newly created hole).

The new extension covers three years of team control and an additional free agent year, with a team option for a second season past free agency as well.

Young isn't an ideal archetype for the Yankees. He's a low-on-base guy (.252 average/.318 OBP this past season) who might hit for contact, but doesn't solve their core offensive problem of ... employing below-average hitters. Things looked a little brighter against lefties last season (.282 average/.776 OPS), and he hit .301 with an .810 OPS overall in the second half.

But, unless something gets unlocked mid-career, Young is mostly a defensive/speed specialist who wouldn't have been handed a starring role in the Bronx, but might've been able to supplement their offensive efforts with a throwback brand of baseball. Instead, the Yankees will look elsewhere. For what it's worth, Kwan provides all of that and he gets on base, too.

And there's always Cody Bellinger, who might play center field after all, fresh off a Platinum Glove award. It's not the worst plan in the world, but his defense in left field really feels irreplaceable.

For now, expect the Yankees to address third base and the bullpen before they move on to other pressing offensive needs.

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