The primary focus this offseason for the New York Yankees will undoubtedly be the starting pitching rotation, especially when it comes to Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg on the mound. Their services will be pursued by general manager Brian Cashman, despite owner Hal Steinbrenner’s comments concerning the lack of run production during the playoffs.
However, there are several players that Cashman is still intrigued by, some of whom were on the Yankees last season. Shortstop Didi Gregorius is one of those players, an every-day starter in the infield who is a productive hitter as well. Last season, though, he only batted .238 but smacked 16 homers, a mentality the Bombers have prioritized in recent years. Bringing in players that sacrifice batting average for home run totals is the ideology Cashman has adopted, and Gregorius has amended his style to the modern-day Yankee way.
Will the New York Yankees bring Didi Gregorius back?
The Yankees and Gregorius’ agent have been in contact about a potential return, but Cashman mentioned the competition for his services.
“I can’t tell you ‘less likely, more likely,’ he said. “I can just tell you Didi was a great player for us. He’s a free agent now, so there’s gonna be competition for his services. We will continue to engage and see if it leads to continuing a relationship or not. But up to this point we’ve been very fortunate and happy to have him as a member of our franchise. Maybe we’ll be able to say that for a couple of years as well — or not — but that remains to be seen. I can’t predict.”
If Cashman elects to pass on Gregorius in free agency, he will likely look to Gleyber Torres to take over the shortstop position, with DJ LeMahieu returning to second base, his strong suit. Realistically, this is the best option for the Yankees, as they see Torres as the future at shortstop, and providing him the opportunity to refine his abilities early on is essential.
Bringing back Gregorius would not only take up a significant portion of available money, but it would compromise the Yankees’ ability to pursue a premium starting pitcher.