Maybe “perfect” isn’t the right word to use when talking about the current offseason for the New York Yankees, but in regard to filling positions of weakness the organization has done a decent job so far.
What would make this offseason as close to “perfect” as possible, though? Solidifying the starting pitching rotation and securing a mega-star to propel the Yankees to stardom might fit the bill.
The bombers were knocked out of the 2018 playoffs by the Boston Red Sox, primarily due to lackluster pitching and a lack of home-runs. The batting order relied on homers to score a majority of the runs last season, while the Red Sox focused on base-hits and base-running. Clearly, that approach held the advantage, given they won the World Series.
How can the New York Yankees have a successful offseason?
The signing of J.A. Happ to a two-year deal with a third year option, worth $34 million was a good start in bolstering the starting pitching rotation. Trading for Mariners ace James Paxton also helps, despite his injury woes. Now, they have a solid group including the two acquisitions, Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, and CC Sabathia. But, will the spending spree end there?
Are the Yankees still in on Noah Syndergaard?
The Yankees are reportedly in talks with the Mets about Noah Syndergaard, arguably the hardest throwing starter in the league. The deal would also involve the Marlins, who are willing to let catcher JT Realmuto walk. The Mets are demanding that third-baseman Miguel Andujar be included in the deal, which ultimately should only be the case if the Yankees are confident they can land Manny Machado to replace him. It is being reported that Machado would take his talents to New York if they can match his asking price.
If these developments can come to fruition, the Yankees could walk away this offseason with James Paxton, J.A. Happ, Noah Syndergaard, and Manny Machado. That’s a haul that only Cashman could pull off. Three upper-tier starting pitchers and one of the most lethal bats in baseball. Now, of course that would mean losing Andujar and several top prospects, but they would be immediately upgrading several positions with quality talent.