It’s never a good look for the New York Yankees when baseball’s most storied franchise misses the playoffs. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner is fixated on doing whatever it takes to make sure they reach the playoffs in 2024.
Yankees: Steinbrenner Unwavering in His Willingness to Make Changes
According to Brendan Kuty of The Athletic, Steinbrenner remains adamant on commissioning change throughout the Yankees’ ranks that will lead to more victories:
“But, according to a team source, Steinbrenner has been adamant this offseason that he wants to see substantive change to the way the team operates, and he’s tasked [Brian] Cashman with mapping how that would look. Steinbrenner would have the final say on any meaningful changes,” Kuty said. “So, when Steinbrenner speaks the next time, the expectation is that he’ll have something tangible to give the fan base in the way of personnel adjustments or promises to spend on players. Above all, he’ll have to make it clear that he won’t stand for another disappointing season from his team.”
Kuty’s reporting comes after Steinbrenner initially voiced his concerns with the Yankees’ ranks at Sportico’s Invest in Sports conference back on Oct. 11.
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Yankees to Deliberate on Sought After Free Agents and Trade Options
From a player’s standpoint, the Yankees have a slew of free agent and trade targets that can realistically end up in pinstripes by Spring training. They also have several players that have been rumored to be expendable, most notably including infielder Gleyber Torres.
San Diego Padres OF Juan Soto is the main offseason target for Cashman. Chicago Cubs OF Cody Bellinger also remains on New York’s radar.
On the mound, Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Padres Cy Young candidate Blake Snell, and former Yankee Jordan Montgomery are among many looked at as viable complements to Gerrit Cole and a strong pitching staff that battled injuries all year long.
Coaching Changes Already Unfolding for the Yankees
The coaching ranks are prone to change as well. Out of Steinbrenner and Cashman’s control is bench coach Carlos Mendoza being interviewed by teams such as the New York Mets for a managerial role.
Hitting coach Sean Casey is on his way out of the Bronx as he deals with a family matter. Yankees star Aaron Judge wants to see better management of analytics in the coaching and front office ranks. Replacements for both Mendoza and Casey will likely be predicated on appeasing their franchise player and finding candidates with championship resumes.
Zelus Analytics has been brought on to audit the Yankees’ analytics department, signaling a progressive step for the franchise.
The Yankees are looking to avoid back-to-back absences from the postseason for the first time since 2014. The changes they make in the coming months will be a good indicator of how ready they are to come out strong and contend in 2024.
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