As they learned at Fenway, having to roll the dice in a one-game playoff can be a recipe for disaster. Their competition, particularly in the division, seems to wield athletic rosters that can do more with less.
Mystique and aura? Steinbrenner must ask why, then address it. Now that the Yankees have pulled the plug on the Gleyber Torres experiment at shortstop, they need a more permanent solution than sliding Gio Urshela over from third base. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball.
The international signing period closes on Dec. What to watch for this Yankees offseason. Share share-square Which players are potential free agents?
Which players have contractual options? Are any players likely to receive qualifying offers? Which players are eligible for salary arbitration? Who might be a non-tender candidate? Who might be a trade candidate? Does owner Hal Steinbrenner allow Cashman to open up the check book, go over the luxury tax, and do what needs to be done to compete in what has become a powerhouse AL East?
That's what should happen. Competition across the American League, let alone the division, has placed the Yanks in a spot where they need to reassert their dominance. The reality is the gap Aaron Boone said was closing on the Yanks has been closing for quite some time.
So readjusting to today's climate surrounding the team that hasn't been to a World Series in more than a decade -- the Yankees standard makes this a real issue -- is imperative. Cashman and his crew need to get things perfect this offseason. Of course, that's easier said than done with the various ways of improving a team and the competition of others trying to do the same. But let's try to create the ideal offseason for Cashman, prefacing it with Steinbrenner allowing him to go over the luxury tax we promise not to make this a Los Angeles Dodgers splurge despite some fans wanting it to be.
Since the Yanks don't have anyone who is qualifying offer worthy, we'll keep to the non-tenders. For those who don't know, the Yankees have 19 arbitration-eligible players on their roster who they need to tender a contract to before the Dec. If they non-tender a player, he automatically becomes a free agent.
Of these players, it would make sense to non-tender Frazier and Locastro. The latter was brought in as outfield depth before the Gallo trade and players getting healthy again. He doesn't have a spot with the team.
As for Frazier, it's a complicated situation. He's a great player when healthy, as the shortened season proved, and the Yankees gave him the left field spot to keep. However, Frazier's injury history, matched with the addition of Gallo and the return of Aaron Hicks , leave the Yanks with their hands tied. With little to no trade value due to his ailments, it may be a tough decision to non-tender Frazier.
As for free agents, there's only one the pinstripes should truly consider: Anthony Rizzo. He quickly became a staple in the Yankees' clubhouse when he was traded for at the trade deadline, and that was to be expected.
With Voit dealing with injuries more on him later , Rizzo came in and played a great defensive first base while providing much-needed, contact-first hitting from the left side of the dish. Because he was well-acclimated with the group, Cashman should highly consider keeping that veteran presence in the Bronx.
Other free agents like Corey Kluber and Andrew Heaney self-explanatory on this one shouldn't be targets of interest. We all know by now how good the free agent crop will be here, and the Yankees will be sure to do their due diligence on each one of the All-Star caliber players out there. The ones this writer likes, though, are Trevor Story and Marcus Semien.
Of course, Corey Seager and Carlos Correa will be very intriguing options, but what will the cost be? Cashman needs to create a well-rounded team, and those two are expected to get the most money. The Yanks were connected to Story at the trade deadline, but nothing came of it. Cashman admitted that he didn't work hard enough to get another shortstop in the building with Torres struggling he was eventually pushed back to second base with Urshela shifting to short.
Something will get done here. It's a matter of who. Pete Caldera is the Yankees beat writer for NorthJersey. For unlimited access to all Yankees analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and download our app.
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