While some have jumped aboard the Manny Machado and Bryce Harper train, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has patiently waited to strike and address positions of need. Appropriating the correct amount of resources to each position is what the Yankees needed this offseason to bolster their team as a whole.
How Yankees’ Cashman has worked his magic:
Creating media attention around a specific player can be a method of distraction, and that’s exactly what Cashman did this offseason in regard to Machado. The news circulating for weeks was all about Machado and the potential replacing of third baseman Miguel Andujar.
Yankees acquire veteran duo:
By utilizing the New York media to his advantage, the Yankees quietly grabbed former All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and hard-working veteran DJ LeMahieu. The secrecy of these moves caught all of us by surprise, and the value each player brings is tremendous.
Tulo offers immediate support at shortstop on a veteran minimum deal, an excellent alternative to the $300 million over ten years Machado was asking for. While Tulo is far from being in his prime, he is still more than capable defensively and can hit for average — .249 BA in 2018.
LeMahieu, on the other hand, is a solid infielder that can provide rotational support to the younger athletes, guys like Gleyber Torres and Andujar. He’s three years removed from an impressive National League batting title (.348 BA). Coors Field certainly helped him in his conquest, but Yankees stadium might also give him an advantage with short porches. He’s a very consistent doubles hitter.
A pitching upgrade:
In addition to the two infield adds, the bullpen was upgraded significantly. Adam Ottavino and the retention of Zach Britton earns the Yankees the potential of a top 5 bullpen – on paper.
Moving forward, I don’t believe the Yanks are done making moves just yet, as there have been rumors that Jacoby Ellsbury could be on the trading block, and finding a suitor for him could alleviate some tied up cap-space and help decipher a murky outfield situation.