The Yankees received 99 video games in 2022 and anticipated to be again in that very same neighborhood once more in 2023, however looking back that appears a bit silly when contemplating how flawed the roster was heading into the season.
And now the Yankees have formally entered retrospect mode, with an out of doors entity referred to as in to make an audit of the group, work out the place issues went unsuitable. What’s going to that imply for GM Brian Cashman — architect of the roster — and supervisor Aaron Boone?
We are going to discover out quickly sufficient. No matter who’s calling the photographs, there are many urgent points the Yankees must deal with this offseason. Let’s have a look.
MORE: High 10 obtainable free brokers for 2024
Yankees three offseason targets
1. Consider the audit, repair the issues. The expectation is that the membership’s reliance on analytical-driven choices will shift after the findings. It’s not that they’ll abandon analytics, after all, however not less than consider in the event that they’re utilizing the proper analytics; anecdotal proof says they haven’t been. Aaron Decide has hinted the identical.
2. Discover offense. A number of the issues that existed for the Yankees this 12 months in all probability will subsequent 12 months, too, and that’s the crew’s dedication — financially — to giving at-bats to veteran hitters who’re previous their prime. In 2023, the Yankees jettisoned Aaron Hicks and Josh Donaldson. However trying on the 2024 lineup, three past-their-prime veterans are in line to get on a regular basis at-bats: Giancarlo Stanton (heading into age-34 season, 87 OPS+ in 2023), D.J. LeMahieu (age-35 season, 96 OPS+) and Anthony Rizzo (age-34 season, 94 OPS+). Granted, Rizzo was actually good in 2022, so a bounce-back in 2024 is feasible if he’s wholesome. However Stanton had an 87 OPS+, can’t run, can’t play protection and makes common journeys to the IL. LeMahieu has escaped some criticism as a result of he hides in Stanton’s shadow, however he has only a 101 OPS+ over the previous three seasons, and he has three years remaining on his deal.
A part of fixing the offense isn’t nearly bringing in sure gamers, it’s discovering a strategy to eliminate others and cease gifting away so many at-bats.
3. Discover pitching. The Yankees have the arms to fill out their 2024 rotation behind Gerrit Cole, however there’s actually room for enchancment, and there are alternatives for upgrades each by means of free company and on the commerce market.
Yankees free brokers
SP Luis Severino: His up-and-down tenure with the Yankees ends with a 6.65 ERA in 89 1/3 innings.
SP Frankie Montas: Montas labored onerous to return again from damage; Yankees may carry him again with a brief or incentive-laden deal.
SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa: Introduced in because the beginning shortstop, leaves because the backup outfielder
RP Wandy Peralta: Fairly efficient, with a 2.83 ERA (however 5.05 FIP) in 63 reduction appearances
Yankees free-agent targets
The listing begins with Shohei Ohtani, clearly. However the possibilities of Ohtani selecting the Yankees at this second of their historical past appears … slim.
Though the free-agent signing of Carlos Rodon was a catastrophe within the first 12 months of the contract, that doesn’t imply the following man will probably be. And there are many beginning pitchers obtainable, starting with Japan’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He’s dominated in Japan and he’s simply heading into his age-25 season. He had a 1.21 ERA and 0.866 WHIP this 12 months.
After Yamamoto, there are starters like Aaron Nola, Blake Snell and Eduardo Rodriguez. Quick-term, they may try to deal for Corbin Burnes, Tyler Glasnow or Brandon Woodruff (all are FAs after 2024), or they may swing an even bigger deal for Dylan Stop, who has two years of membership management left with the White Sox. Josh Hader can be an enormous improve within the bullpen.
Do they imagine Cody Bellinger’s resurgence in 2023 was for actual? Sustainable? If Cashman’s nonetheless the shot-caller this offseason, that’s a fairly large danger for him to take, with the kind of contract Bellinger is prone to land.
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Yankees potential commerce goal
Ohtani seems like an extended shot on the free-agent market, however what about buying and selling for Juan Soto? The Padres clearly didn’t accomplish what they wished in 2023, and including yet one more large contract to their ledger — Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts each have 10 years left on their offers — may not be the perfect thought. Now, think about pairing Juan Soto with Aaron Decide within the Yankees’ lineup for the following decade, which might be precise actual, reputable safety for Decide. That’s price a commerce and large extension, proper?
Yankees on the buying and selling block
Gleyber Torres can hit the free agent market after the 2024 season. He’s been … good, not nice, which is miles higher than most Yankees hitters have been in 2023. However he hasn’t developed into the hitter most thought he would, when he was an All-Star in each 2018 and 2019, and are the Yankees actually keen to increase him? If not, there are groups that might roll the cube on a power-hitting second baseman, and that might assist the membership fill different points.
Remaining Yankees ideas
There’s work to be performed, little doubt. The roster was flawed in 2023 — it’s wonderful they even completed .500 — and it’s nonetheless very flawed as of this second heading into 2024. We saved the most important query for final: Will Hal Steinbrenner lastly go all-in and approve what it’s going to take for the Yankees to get again to being The Evil Empire?