In the eyes of the “boss,” the deceased George Steinbrenner, the New York Yankee 2021 season was another failed season. He always felt a successful season was one that the Yankees went to the World Series and won the Fall Classic. During his ownership, the Yankees won the World Championship seven times. Unfortunately, under Hal Steinbrenner’s ten-year tutelage, the New York Yankees have not won any.
Hal Steinbrenner made it clear last season that he wanted to stay under the luxury tax threshold, and he did that. What fans should know is that although the Yankees spend a lot on player payroll, their payroll to revenues ratio is the lowest in baseball for the last several several years.
George Steinbrenner died on the same day as the 81st annual All-Star game; many fans think the storied Yankees franchise died on the same day. Of course, George didn’t win every season, but he made the changes necessary to make that again a possibility when he didn’t. The Yankees have made only two significant moves in the last ten years: getting Giancarlo Stanton in 2018 and starting pitcher Gerrit Cole in December of 2019.
While the Yankees and their fans are still licking their wounds, the wild predictions of who the Yankees will get to fill this spot and that spot are running amuck. Projections like the Yankees will target Robbie Ray, Max Scherzer, or even Justin Verlander. Last season the wild predictions led the Yankees to pick up two bruised starters in Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon, neither of whom had pitched in the previous two seasons. General Manager Brian Cashman has a history of doing what no one expects.
Another good example is before the 2019 season; the rumors were swirling around that the Yankees would go after Manny Machado or Bryce Harper. But in the end, the Yankees made a pedestrian move hiring DJ LeMahieu instead. That turned out rather well, but at the time, the Yankees fans were disappointed. Unfortunately, the Yankees often make very pedestrian moves when fans expect big things.
The hottest predictions or rumors are that the New York Yankees will pick up a star shortstop this offseason. Brian Cashman has already said it is his top priority. Big names include Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, and others. But, don’t be surprised if the Yankees pick up Javier Baez or some mostly unknown shortstop on the cheap. However, that being said, this offseason seems to carry more importance for the Yankees to get better so they can go deep into the postseason and hopefully win another World Championship after not being in one in eleven years.
The whole point of this article is to advise you to listen but take little stock in the named targets or predictions as they seldom turn out as expected. However, as we draw closer to the new baseball season, those predictions hold more validity. History has told us that you never know what to expect when it comes to the Yankees. We can hope they will make the necessary changes to make this team better, much better. Go Yankees!