As New York Yankees managing partner Hal Steinbrenner said during his postseason interview, the organization lost a monstrous amount of money due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The loss of revenue could impact how the Yankees approach this upcoming off-season, and it is no surprise that they feel confident in the group of players they currently have. Of course, their starting pitching is set to take a massive blow with James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, and JA Happ, all hitting free agency.
Their removal from the team will open up a solid amount of money to allocate elsewhere, but several positions still remain a challenge, including catcher and inconsistent defensive performances in the infield, notably at shortstop.
Former Yankee Mark Teixeira offered some advice and insight into what the Yankees should and might do.
“I don’t know what the financial situation of the Yankees is going to be this offseason,†Teixeira said. “If Brian Cashman has a very small budget, then maybe DJ LeMahieu is out of their budget. But if the Steinbrenner family says, ‘Hey, I know we lost a ton of money this year, everybody in baseball lost money this year, but I’m still going to let you go out and sign a few guys, Cash, and we need to bring back the value’ — then of course it’s a no-brainer.â€
The New York Yankees need to prioritize DJ:
I imagine the Yankees will do everything in their power to retain DJ LeMahieu, as Steinbrenner was vocally clear that he understands his value. DJ is not only their most consistent hitter, but he has won three Gold Gloves and represents their best defensive player in the infield. His value doesn’t only come at second base, but also his flexibility when filling in at other positions.
In addition to LeMahieu, Teixeira believes that Luke Voit could be a trading piece. Selling high on him and moving LeMahieu to first base and Gleyber Torres back to second base could prove to be a winning recipe.
“As good as Luke Voit is, and as popular as he is, his value has never been higher,†said Teixeira, appearing on “The Michael Kay Show.â€
His advice didn’t stop there, as he also recommended a reunion with Didi Gregorius. This would imply that Torres moves back to second base, where he is defensively more proficient.
Of course, Gregorius is a Yankees fan favorite and had a stellar 2020 campaign with the Philadelphia Phillies. Re-signing him might be a bit more pricey than the Yankees hoped for, but he is a great player with the right mentality.
“Go back out and re-sign Didi Gregorius,†Teixeira said. “Because we know Didi can play in New York. He’s a good defensive shortstop and he’s left-handed. I think that’s the move you make this offseason.â€
What do you think of these moves? Comment below!