This article is the second part of a three-part article series discussing what we can possibly expect from the Yankees and Brian Cashman this offseason. I broke this into three parts because there is so much to talk about and I don't want to bore you with a never-ending article.
Now that we've discussed the Yankees' needs and holes that they will look to fill - let's see discuss what is out there on both the Free Agent Market and the Trade Market. The Yankees have the potentiality to make some huge splashes this offseason that will hopefully see them at the top of the AL East AND hoisting that World Series trophy again.
POTENTIAL RE-SIGN CANDIDATES
Aside from the re-signing of Sabathia and Gardner, of that list from above, not many of those players catch my eye as a player I would like the Yankees to bring back into the fold in 2019. I would be willing to bet that Cashman tries to re-sign JA Happ, David Robertson, and Zach Britton. All the other players, I would be willing to bet sign elsewhere.
In the 11 games JA Happ started with the Yankees, the 36 year old lefty went 7-0, with a 2.69 ERA. He was an outstanding addition, with proven AL East experience - there should be no reason the Yankees do not go after Happ. The problem is, several other teams will be as well. Happ has indicated that he would like to come back, but the deal has to be right for both sides. I would expect him back in pinstripes in 2019, hopefully continuing his success.
David Robertson was solid in his first full season back with the Yankees. If you remember, he was re-acquired from the White Sox at the Trade Deadline in 2017. Robertson has reportedly fired his agent and will be representing himself this offseason. He is a quality arm, that struggled at times this season. However, to me it should be no indication to give up on him for it. Bring him back.
I am sure that mentioning Zach Britton in this list has a lot of people questioning me. But, you have to look at the situation. Britton is only two years removed from one of the most dominating seasons as a reliever in Baltimore. He missed half of 2017 and 2018 recovering from injury. In 25 games for the Yankees he pitched to a 2.88 ERA, and began to regain much of his form towards the end of the season. He became a reliable arm down the stretch and in the division series against Boston. I don't know if he's going to demand closer money, but he could be a valuable addition in the bullpen, especially if the Yankees are unable to sign other relievers on the market (i.e. Andrew Miller).
MANNY MACHADO AND BRYCE HARPER
There are a handful of big name free agents that are available this offseason, maybe you have heard of two of them? Manny Machado and Bryce Harper - both 26 year old All-Stars who have both been linked to the Yankees for some time now. Both of whom Yankee fans hate and love. Weird right? Go follow #yankees on twitter if you want to see what I mean. You have half the fan base saying "sign them both" because you will never have this chance again, and the other half saying "we don't want either of them" because they will cost way too much money. Both sides are right. Some may say, "we have a third baseman and we have full outfield, we don't need either of them" - and those people would be right... to a degree. But, we are talking two of the games BEST YOUNG PLAYERS. I don't care who you have at those positions now, you make it work. You cannot sit there and tell me that adding one of these guys (or both) doesn't make the Yankees better. It certainly does. And to say that this team doesn't have room for the ego's that come with these players is crazy. If they produce, and the Yankees win, then what's the big deal? Standing pat with what they've got isn't going to put the Yankees over the top. And, having to watch the Red Sox win the division the last two years, and the World Series this year should be enough motivation to do whatever it takes to beat them. I mean, doesn't it drive you mad knowing that the Red Sox had by far the highest payroll this season, won, and were PRAISED for it?!?
With that said, I think it's pretty clear which side I am on...
But, seriously let's look at some stats here. In 2018, Manny Machado had a very good season split between the Orioles and the Dodgers, at age 25 he hit .297 with 37 homers and 107 runs batted in. But, along with the high quality numbers he produced he was often criticized throughout the postseason for his lack of hustle and some dirty plays. I'm not saying that kind of behavior disappears if he were to become a Yankee, but it could. Surround him with the right coaches and teammates (Judge, Gardner, CC, Stanton, etc) that could change his make-up to an extent. Don't forget that Machado has won 2 Gold Glove Awards and would be a MAJOR defensive upgrade over Andujar. Look, Andujar was great... better than we all expected (should win the AL Rookie of the Year Award), but you don't want your team pulling your third basemen in the 6th inning of playoff games because he is a defensive liability. If the Yankees do end up signing Machado, look for them to use Andujar as a big trade chip to acquire a quality, ace level Starting Pitcher... more on that in a minute. But, there is a very good chance that Machado will be looking for a huge pay day. At least 10 years for $300 million +. Odds are if Machado becomes a Yankee, he will man the hot corner at third base.
Bryce Harper has been a star since he entered the draft straight out of High School. It is amazing to think that both he and Machado are 26, and yet both came into the league in 2012. Harper has made the All-Star game six out of his first seven seasons, and took home Rookie of the Year (2012) and MVP (2015) all before turning 25. Bryce has had some up and down seasons, but has consistently hit 24+ HR and 86+ RBI in his last four years. Imagine the damage he could do in Yankee Stadium, possibly batting between Judge and Stanton? Crazy. Last year his batting average dropped from .319 to .249, but still managed to hit 34HR and drive in 100 RBI. When Harper was drafted, he was a catcher - to protect him, the Nationals moved him to the outfield. With the Yankees crowded outfield (Judge, Hicks, Stanton, Gardner, Frazier, Ellsbury...) where would Harper fit in? It has been rumored that in order to sign with the Yankees, Harper would transition to play first base. According to his agent Scott Boras, Bryce has the "feet and hands" that would allow him to easily make the transition. It's clear Boras' intentions are to play to the Yankees. If that's the case, then that could solve the Yankees' inconsistency at first base. Worst case scenario, you try him at first and if it doesn't work then shift him back to the outfield next season after Gardner's contract expires. Word on the street tells me that the Nationals already made an offer to Harper on the final day of the season for 10-years at $300 million dollars with no opt-out clause. Harper rejected the offer - as he should. That doesn't mean he can't re-negotiate with Washington, but he supposedly wants to be a Yankee. As of Wednesday (11.07), Buster Olney tweeted "As there continues to be speculation about Brce Harper and the Yankees, a well-placed source emphatically says: 'It's not happening. He's not going to be a Yankee." Similar rumors were swirling around in 2009 prior to the Yankees signing Mark Teixiera - basically, I don't believe the Yankees are out on Harper until there is actual verified news that he has signed with another team.
Look, it makes sense for the Yankees to "leak" information from insiders that they may not be interested in a player like Harper or Machado. If word got out that they were all-in on these guys, other teams would be working hard to drive up the price. With this approach, the Yankees can monitor the market on each player, and in the meantime sign other players, or work out other deals that fill their needs. This way, IF the Yankees land either player, they get them at THEIR price.
OTHER FREE AGENT PITCHERS
Believe it or not, there are other available Free Agents out there this winter. One pitcher that the Yankees have had their eye on is left hander Patrick Corbin. Corbin, originally from the Syracuse area, had a career year in 2018 with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his age 28 season, Corbin finished 11-7 in 33 starts, and pitched to a 3.15 ERA. He threw exactly 200 innings and racked up 246 strikeouts, while keeping his WHIP down to 1.050... impressive. Definitely good enough for the Yankees to take notice, and hopefully the start of many consecutive quality seasons. However, I see a few red flags with this potential signing... Corbin has been an MLB pitcher for six seasons, missed the 2014 season with Tommy John Surgery, and posted sub-par numbers since returning in 2015. However... in each year, he has thrown more innings, struck out more batters, and improved his ERA. Could this be a key indication that the 2018 Patrick Corbin is the real pitcher the Yankees would acquire? Or will he regress? If I am the Yankees, and I do sign him - I make sure that this isn't the sole pitching acquisition/signing I make. Corbin may be a solid addition, but is not a bona-fide ace.
There aren't many quality starting pitchers available this offseason - unfortunately. And the top remaining starting pitchers that are available... I don't really feel fit what the Yankees need. They are either on the wrong side of 30, or coming off down years... or both. One option, Dallas Keuchel, I would urge the Yankees to stay away from. Keuchel fits the 30+, coming off a down year description. Since his Cy Young Award win in 2015, he has been up and down, and if I were Cashman, I wouldn't risk it.
Another available starter is former Yankee, Nathan Eovaldi. After losing him in the 2016 season to his second Tommy John Surgery, the Yankees released him. He caught on with the Rays, and then was traded to the Red Sox. Eovaldi had a solid year - probably his best overall year. However, there is much speculation that he will re-sign with Boston. I wouldn't want to re-sign him anyways... two Tommy John Surgeries? yuck... Also, he did not live up to the hype the last time he pitched for the Yankees... so why go through that again? How do we know he won't regress back to the pitcher he was before he got hurt? Let the Red Sox take him on and deal with that.
Other top starting pitchers that are available, that I would prefer the Yankees avoid are Charlie Morton and Hyun-Jin Ryu. If I am the Yankees, I either sign Happ or sign Morton - not both. I have a feeling Morton will ultimately sign elsewhere. Ryu is expected to accept the Dodgers' qualifying offer.
FREE AGENT POSITION PLAYERS
There are a few position players that Cashman could consider signing, if they ultimately do not sign Manny Machado or Bryce Harper. As I had indicated, the Yankees have a few holes they need to fill and in all likelihood will look to sign someone with some versatility that can play multiple positions. If they make some trades to acquire starting pitching, you could see them fall back on the Free Agent market to add some depth.
One player that they could potentially make a play for is utility player, Marwin Gonzalez. He had a phenomenal year in 2017, helping the Astros win the World Series as he posted a career best .303/23HR/90RBI. His numbers fell back in line with his career averages in 2018 as he hit .247/16HR/68RBI. The great thing about Gonzalez is his ability to play almost anywhere, and play that position well. He played every single position except for pitcher and catcher - while the majority of his playing time was in left field (73G). He also filled in for an injured Altuve at 2B (32G), Correa at SS (39G) and played a number of games at 1B (24). Signing Gonzalez adds plenty of defensive depth as well as a solid bat that the Yankees could take advantage of while Didi recovers from his surgery.
If the Yankees do not sign Manny Machado, and happen to trade away Miguel Andujar for starting pitching, they could make a play for third baseman Josh Donaldson. I will get more into trades later, but Donaldson came off a year filled with injury, only playing 52 games. While injured, the Blue Jays traded him to Cleveland, where he only played 16 games. Combined between Toronto and Cleveland, he hit .246/8HR/23RBI, hardly matching his MVP-type production from a few years earlier. However, in his 16 games with Cleveland he showed signs of life putting together a solid .280/3HR/7RBI - this is an incredibly small sample size, but it shows that he can certainly still be productive. He wouldn't come cheap, however at 32 years old he would be considerably more affordable than Machado. I would pass on him.
Another option at third that the Yankees could consider if Andujar is dealt might be veteran Mike Moustakas. Moustakas signed a 1-year deal with Kansas City late in Spring Training, and was sent to Milwaukee at the trade deadline. Overall, Moustakas had a pretty solid year putting together combined numbers of .251/28HR/95RBI between both teams. At 30 years old he has proven to still have some value, and his price may end up being too steep for the Yankees. However, it would still be less than Machado... I would pass.
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I remember a few years ago fans and writers were so excited for this off-season, and there are several intriguing free agents that are available - but as far as the Yankees are concerned, outside of Harper, Machado, and Corbin there really isn't much out there on the Free Agent market that would ultimately make this team much better. They are already a good team. What would really make this list far more intriguing is if the Yankees make a couple of trades for pitching. That could open up some holes that may allow for some additional Free Agent signings. With Cashman and Steinbrenner adamant that they want to remain under the 2019 Luxury Tax threshold, they may not actually sign these big name free agents - however they can still drastically improve the pitching staff via the trade market.
I will review what might be available on the trade market, as well as which prospects and MLB players the Yankees could use to acquire upgrades in this manner.
Stay tuned for part III!