After having a huge offseason last year when they snagged Gerrit Cole off the free-agent list, the New York Yankees have found themselves still having similar problems to last year’s roster. One of the main issues is pitching along with defensive adjustments. Here are three free agents the Yankees’ front office should consider when looking to fill these holes.
Trevor Bauer
One of the more obvious ones that come to the minds of Yankee fans, Trevor Bauer would be a great fit in the Yankee rotation. With the possibility of Domingo German and Masahiro Tanaka possibly not coming back next season, having Bauer and Cole as a 1A and 1B type situation would be huge for the team. That’s exactly what both 2020 World Series team have right now. The Dodgers have Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler and the Rays have Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell.
After having a dominant season and proving to be the best pitcher in the National League by far, Trevor Bauer is most likely going to win the NL Cy Young award. Because of this, he’s also probably looking to get paid this offseason. Luckily for him, the Yankees have money. There’s only one concern when it comes to Bauer wearing pinstripes: he and Cole apparently don’t along which has stemmed from when they were teammates at UCLA. However, if they got along at UCLA, they can figure it out in the Bronx too.
J.T. Realmuto
This is one of the more unlikely signings for the Yankees, however, J.T. Realmuto has proven himself to be a top-three catcher in all of baseball especially for his defense. Gary Sanchez has proven for a few years now that all he can do is hit and is clearly a defensive liability behind the plate. Yankee fans saw this when they had to start back up catcher Kyle Higashioka during the ALDS against the Rays.
Realmuto is a two-time all-star and has won two silver slugger awards in the last three years. The reason why this pickup is unlikely for the Yankees is that they already have Sanchez and Higashioka and the Phillies are also probably going to try to resign him for some good money. It’ll be interesting to see where he lands up, but the Yankees should definitely keep their options open.
Marcus Stroman
Despite not playing during the 2020 season because of a calf injury, Marcus Stroman has proven himself to be a dominant starter and a premier pitcher in the league. He also fits in well in the Yankee rotation, being an extremely solid two or three depending on if Luis Severino returns.
Stroman holds a career 3.76 ERA and because of his prior two teams (Blue Jays and Mets), his record from last season doesn’t give him justice. With the Yankee run support, Stroman’s stuff will play in the Bronx. The Yankees should definitely keep him an option judging that every other team is probably going to shop Bauer hard.