At the end of the season, the New York Yankees energized fans by saying the purse was open and the Yankees would be spending to improve the team for 2022. As the postseason drags on, and the Yankees have not yet made any splashes, fans are quickly becoming disenfranchised as the Yankees seem to be drawing back on their promise to hire some high profile players.
Gary Sanchez going nowhere
This writer is not sure what all the talk this week about Gary Sanchez is leading. Folks, he is not going anywhere. There are three main reasons. 1. The organization is still standing behind him with their support, even though he doesn’t deserve it. 2. There just aren’t many catchers out there this offseason that would be better than Sanchez. 3. The Yankees have much bigger fish to fry: SS, first base, oh and yeah, a number two type starter for the rotation.
Carlos Correa or Corey Seager won’t be in pinstripes
At the beginning of the postseason, the Yankees seemed primed to go after the best shortstop in the business, Carlos Correa, if not him then Corey Seager of nearly the same quality. But now both seem to be in the Yankees rearview mirror, and it’s not entirely clear why.
Are the Yankees sincere in not wanting to block Anthony Volpe or Oswald Peraza from making the bigs when they are ready or are the Yankees pulling back because the don’t want to spend the money after all?
Will postseason acquisitions come to a halt?
All the acquisitions, by purchase or trade, may be coming to a screaming halt. We are now one week away from the agreement that allows the owners and players to put on a baseball season. Yes, the expiration of the CBA comes on December 1.
Commissioner Rob Manfred has said the negotiations for a new contract are going very slow, and the sides are far apart. He also said it seems a lock-out is likely. If that happens, all transactions will also come to a halt. The last time there was an MLB work stoppage was in 1994, starting in August with no World Series and halting the start of the 1995 season.
Max Scherzer to the Dodgers?
It may not be of much interest to Yankee fans that industry sources say that free-agent pitcher Max Scherzer will likely end up with the Dodgers. What is concerning is that general manager Brian Cashman said getting a number two type starting pitcher was one of his priorities.
With Scherzer landing on the west coast, it’s just another Yankee pitching target that will be going off the market and not available to the Yankees. Noah Syndergaard of the Mets has already signed with the Angels, Justin Verlander with the Astros, and Eduardo Rodriguez with the Detroit Tigers.
Is Freddie Freeman the Yankees’ dream first baseman?
I think we can all agree that Yankee first baseman Luke Voit’s days with the Yankees are over. He was never a great defender and has had a great deal of difficulty staying healthy. Although several Yankees have replaced him, the Yankee via trade settled on Anthony Rizzo, who is now a free agent. The question is, Rizzo is not the hitter he once was, even though his defense at first is stellar. Also, will the Yankees want to pay the big bucks he will likely ask for?
The Yankees could stick with DJ LeMahieu, who is a Gold Glove second baseman. He is adequate, but his offense isn’t exactly exciting either. If the Yankees want a power-hitting lefty with the defense of Mark Teixiera, there is a free agent out there. His name is Freddie Freeman of the Braves that is now a free agent. Freeman and the short porch at the Stadium are the perfect match, and unlike Rizzo, his hitting is not in decline, anyone that watched the World Series knows that. In 2021 Freeman hit .300 with 31 home runs.
If the Yankees spend big for a shortstop, Freeman is probably not an option, but if they go with a stop-gap option at short, Freeman would make a perfect Yankee. Another wise addition could have been Belt of the Giants, but he just signed an $18 million one-year deal to stay with the Giants.