Despite the New York Yankees executing a blockbuster trade with the Minnesota Twins to acquire Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Josh Donaldson, and Ben Rortvedt, they could still be eyeing a potential move at shortstop.
The situation revolving around Carlos Correa hasn’t changed much, with the Baltimore Orioles presenting a 10 year, $300 million deal and the Houston Astros trying to retain his services for the long term. However, Correa remains patient with the process, and one insider believes general manager Brian Cashman could be working under the radar.
Andy Martino of SNY still believes the Yankees could be in the mix for Carlos Correa:
Talking to players over the first five days of spring training has left me with the strong impression that they expect more change in the coming days, both on the roster and with the culture. Virtually no one feels certain that he will not be traded. People are on their toes, and don’t seem to mind it.
According to Martino, there are players on the Yankees roster who still believe Correa could be acquired. It would go against the concept of trading for Kiner-Falefa, but we’ve seen Cashman do crazier things in the past. For all we know, he could be looking to leverage Falefa for starting pitching support, which would be part of a grandmaster plan.
There are players who still hope that the team signs Carlos Correa. It’s difficult to say if that is back on the table, because Brian Cashman is in super-stealth mode.
The Yankees consumed two years and $50 million of Donaldson’s contract and then proceeded to retain Anthony Rizzo at $16 million per season. Already locking up a significant amount of money and passing the second luxury tax threshold, it is also probable the Bombers aren’t trying to spend more but remain cost-efficient.
Acquiring Correa would undoubtedly boost their shortstop position, though. Last season, Carlos hit .279 with 26 homers and 92 RBIs. He’s one of the best postseason players in the league, making him even more valuable to a Yankee team that seems to squander opportunities in elimination rounds.
It is more likely Cashman is looking at Anthony Volpe to make the jump in 2023, which coincides with two more years of control over Kiner-Falefa.