NEW YORK YANKEES – The Nationals hoisting the Commissioners Trophy is now a distant memory to every other team in baseball. Organizations across the league are getting ready to cast their nets to try and catch the biggest whales swimming in this year’s free-agent market. Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasberg, and Anthony Rendon will be the most targeted players, and very deservingly so.
Yankee fans are tired of getting trolled by the Houston Astros. They have now eliminated New York from postseason play three times in the past five years. The fans don’t miss a beat and can pinpoint every mistake that is made. The mismanagement of pitchers, and every Yankee batter trying to go deep, rather than play small ball, was excruciating to watch. In Game Two of the ALCS, Happ was the wrong choice to face Correa, this was a call that left us scratching our heads, as well as questioning Boone’s decision-making skills. The Yankees left countless runners on base all series long, and at times looked like they were staring into headlights. They never drew blood and became the sharks they were meant to be. The Yankees have to dive into the pool of this offseason with confidence and secure the bag for next season.
Cashman has said he will pursuit Cole, he is either going all in or preparing to make the biggest bluff in history. Cole has a strong case to win this year’s American League Cy Young, he led Major League Baseball in strikeouts, finished second in wins, and third for lowest earned run average. His dominance and command on the mound truly makes him a sought after Ace. The World Series MVP Stephen Strasberg shined brighter than the lights of Broadway, and Yankee fans would love to see him don the Pinstripes.
Anthony Rendon isn’t just a terminator at the plate, he loves to flash the leather and show off his cannon of an arm. With the Bombers having depth at third, it would make sense to sign Rendon and have him DH on rest days or every other series.
Yankee fans have to hope for the best and prepare for the worst. There are plenty of free agents out there who, if signed, could ignite and surprise any fan base. Hyun-Jin Ryu collected fourteen wins for the Dodgers, and only suffered five losses on the season. He also led the majors with the lowest earned run average for the second straight year.
With the dangerous offensive unit, the Yanks have, starting arms like Porcello, Ordirizzi, Teheran, Wheeler, Hamels, and Wacha could win fifteen games, and come at a cheaper price than the hardware winners. Edwin Encarnacion has gone to find another perch to stand on, and with DiDi and Gardner potentially testing the open waters of free agency, the Yanks will have to find the correct replacements while keeping the luxury tax in mind.
Either way, Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman will be under a magnifying glass, held by the Yankee Faithful. The DJ LeMahieu signing was quite possibly, the greatest Yankee signing in the last thirty years. Fans can only hope, that there will be more signings like that during this Free Agency season. If history has taught us anything, it’s that signings like A-Rod, Ellsbury, and Giambi, all have to be a thing of the past. The Yankees front office has to start playing chess, rather than their usual game of checkers, and break down the quality of a player, before offering a max deal of great quantity. Cashman knows if he makes the wrong decision or comes up short, the Empire will be ready to storm the Castle. The addition of Pitching Coach Matt Blake is just the start, the rest of the puzzle must be solved in order for the Yankees to be under the lights and on the field during next year’s Fall Classic. The chase for twenty-eight starts now.