Yankees Rumors: New York in “Serious Discussions” with Raul Ibanez
By Editorial Staff
It appears the New York Yankees are set on adding a bat before the spring. Buster Olney of ESPN reported last night that New York could sign one of the market’s remaining hitters within the next week. Following Olney’s report, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted that the Yankees are holding “serious discussions” with veteran free agent Raul Ibanez.
There’s been speculation surrounding the New York Yankees and their designated hitter position since the Jesus Montero/Michael Pineda trade was announced. Initially the Yankees were expected to add a bat, and names such as Carlos Pena, Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsuiand Ibanez have been tossed around.
But the Yankees have yet to acquire a hitter, leading some to speculate that New York could look to fill their void at DH from within. The Yankees could perhaps use the position to rest some of their veteran players or give career minor leaguer Jorge Vazquez a shot this spring.
Now it appears the Yankees will indeed look to bring in another hitter, most likely one from the free agent market. Though we’re late into the offseason, there are several viable DH options remaining. Due to this availability, the Yankees figure to be able to land a bat at their price.
For the moment it appears that Ibanez may be the Yankees top choice. Rosenthal tweeted that the veteran is willing to take less money to play in New York than he could get elsewhere.
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You can check out all of the available free agents by position below.