New York Yankees: Who’s On First in 2017?

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Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Outside the Organization

This is the least likely possibility, especially if you take Brian Cashman at his word that the Yankees are done adding players this offseason. But if the club wants a bit more insurance at the first base position, there are some free agent alternatives still out there to consider.

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The Yanks are probably not going to make a surprise play for Mike Napoli. The market for him has developed rather slowly, but he is still likely to get more than the Yanks would be willing to pay at the moment. The rest of the remaining free agent field is a collection of aging former stars and players with obvious limitations.

Chris Carter led the National League with 42 home runs last year, but his reputation as an all-or-nothing power hitter (career .218 BA and .314 OBP) has seemingly kept teams at a distance. Adam Lind has demonstrated his share of pop over the years as well, but he’s coming off a disappointing season in Seattle and will be 34 next July. The Yankees could be tempted to see what either would do at their home ballpark, but it seems like a long shot.

Justin Morneau isn’t really worth a flyer, nor is Logan Morrison or James Loney (despite his reputation as a Yankee killer). And the notion of Ryan Howard is just plain depressing. In past years, the Yankees may have been willing to sign a past-his-prime star for name value alone, but the organization’s approach truly seems to have changed. Holliday appears to be as close as they will come to that category.

Next: Pitchers Ready for First No-Hitters

If the Bombers bring in anyone else, it will probably be as depth at Triple-A, similar to the role played by Chris Parmelee last year. The young up-and-comers are going to be given a chance to succeed first.