Yankees Rumors: Eight potential offseason moves for Brian Cashman

The expectation before the 2018 MLB regular season was for the New York Yankees to reach the World Series.  As the young, talented team fell short of their expectations, it is now expected for general manager Brian Cashman to alter the roster in order to repair its weak points. Yankees rumors could be wild!

The New York Yankees were only one win away from winning the American League Championship Series in 2017 before they were eliminated by the eventual World Series Champion Houston Astros.  The 2017 regular season began as a potential rebuilding year in the Bronx, but they were able to compete at a high level which encouraged the front office to buy at the trade deadline.

This was mainly due to the emergence of Aaron Judge, the continued growth of Didi Gregorius, and a breakout year for Luis Severino.  However, as the front office has been on a mission to stay below the luxury tax threshold ahead of the 2019 season, any offseason adjustments prior to the 2018 season had to fit within their budgetary goals.

Fortunately, this involved the Yankees being able to add the 2017 National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton.  Unfortunately, this involved the organization not being able to afford the veteran presence of Todd Frazier or being able to strengthen the starting rotation.

Although the Yankees were able to bring back veteran CC Sabathia on a one year, $10 million contract, the only other significant offseason moves consisted of signing Neil Walker to a one year, $4 million contract and acquiring Brandon Drury in a trade for prospects Nick Solak and Taylor Widener.  The team sent out roughly $25 million by trading Starlin Castro, Chase Headley, and Bryan Mitchel and they brought in $25 million by acquiring Stanton from the Miami Marlins.

Although Dellin Betances, Sonny Gray, and Didi Gregorius saw the most significant arbitration raises on the team, the Yankees no longer had Sabathia at a $25 million salary, Matt Holliday at $13 million, Michael Pineda at $7.4 million, or Alex Rodriguez at $21 million.  All of these circumstances put together, along with other minor moves, caused the payroll of the team to go from $209 million in 2017 to $179 million in 2018.

As the front office created some wiggle room to add additional pieces before the $197 million luxury tax threshold was reached, they were eventually able to acquire impact pieces at the trade deadline.  These pieces included J.A. Happ, Lance Lynn, Zach Britton, and Luke Voit.  They were also able to bring in Andrew McCutchen and Adeiny Hechavarria prior to the waiver wire deadline.

Nonetheless, the Yankees hopes of winning the American League East division quickly slipped away when the Boston Red Sox took a 5.5 game lead into August and a 7.5 game lead into September.  The Yankees were able to secure home field advantage in the American League Wild Card game due to the emergence of Voit (14 HRs, 33 RBI, and a 1.095 OPS in 39 games) and the steadiness of Happ (7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts).

The team was able to Defend the Bronx in a victory over the Oakland Athletics in the American League Wild Card game.  However, the Yankees were then only able to win one game in the American League Division Series before being eliminated by a Red Sox team that currently holds a 2-0 lead in the 2018 World Series.

As the strict financial restrictions will likely not be there this offseason, expect to see Cashman make significant improvements to a young team that is already built to win.  Due to this, here are eight moves that the Yankees organization could potentially pursue during the upcoming offseason.

As the 2017 New York Yankees shocked everyone with how soon they were able to win, the front office decided to make a deal with the Oakland Athletics for a young top of the rotation arm prior to the trade deadline.

Sonny Gray was acquired from the Oakland A’s with the hopes that he would, at the very least, be a steady top of the rotation presence for the remainder of 2017 and the remainder of his years under team control (2018, 2019).  Unfortunately, the trade has not worked in the Yankees favor as Gray has only been able compile a 15-16 record while allowing 104 runs through195.2 innings pitched.

Although his 3.72 ERA and 1.255 WHIP were not bad through the 11 starts he made for the Yankees in 2017, his performance as a starting pitcher in 2018 caused him to become a relief pitcher that made occasional spot starts after the team acquired Happ and Lynn.

As a starter, Gray compiled a 9-9 record with a 5.26 ERA and a 1.496 WHIP.  As a reliever, he compiled a 2-0 record with a 2.60 ERA and a 1.500 WHIP.  He made 23 starts and 7 relief appearances during the 2018 season.

Despite his poor performance in the Bronx, there will be suitors for the services of Gray in the offseason.  The soon-to-be 29-year-old starting pitcher will be entering his 7th MLB season in 2019 and he has already compiled 59 wins through 155 career games pitched.

This includes a 2015 season in which he compiled a 14-7 record with a 2.73 ERA, a 3.45 FIP, and a 1.082 WHIP through 208.0 innings pitched.  As the velocity and movement are there for Gray, a team will likely take a chance on him if they feel a change of scenery will fix his issues.

Another reason a team will likely take a chance on Gray are due to his home and road splits during 2018.  Through 15 games in the Bronx, he compiled a 6.98 ERA and a 1.904 WHIP.  Through 15 games on the road, he compiled a 3.17 ERA and a 1.155 WHIP.

The Yankees are unlikely to receive a package that is similar to the one they sent out for Gray (Dustin Fowler, James Kaprielian, and Jorge Mateo), but they could salvage the trade by acquiring a player that can contribute immediately in 2019.

This could come in the form of a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers by swapping Gray for relief pitcher Jordan Lyles.  Lyles pitched to a 4.11 ERA, 4.08 FIP, and 1.266 WHIP through 87.2 innings pitched as a starter and a reliever between his time with the San Diego Padres and the Brewers.

As a relief pitcher in 2018, he pitched to a 3.32 ERA and a 1.156 WHIP through 40.2 innings pitched.  After being traded to the Brewers, he pitched to a 3.31 ERA, 2.49 FIP, and a 1.286 WHIP in 16.1 innings pitched.  He also only allowed 3 hits and 1 walk without giving up a run in 7.1 innings during the month of September.

As Lyles has a 93.6 mph fastball average to go alongside an 89.1 mph slider, an 83.5 mph curveball, and an 85.9 mph change-up, he could fit right in within a talented Yankees bullpen.  Lyles is under contract for $3.5 million in 2019 while Gray is expected to receive $9.1 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility.

Finding an option for shortstop was likely to be the last thing that Cashman and company expected to have on their agenda this offseason, but it is now something that needs to be considered.

According to a press release by the New York Yankees, Didi Gregorius underwent successful Tommy John surgery on October 17th and it is expected that he will be able to return in the summer months.  However, as 100 wins were not enough for the Yankees to win the American League East last season, the team may not feel comfortable using a player such as Ronald Torreyes or Tyler Wade to fill the void at shortstop.

Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres filled in for Gregorius at shortstop at various points in the 2018 regular season.  Due to this, Torres could be an option to fill in at shortstop while the team could bring back Neil Walker to fill in a second base.  However, if there is an injury to Torres, it could leave the team very thin in the middle infield.

Manny Machado may be an option for shortstop as he could move over to third base when Gregorius returns, but his playoff antics for the Los Angeles Dodgers may cause the Yankees to stay away from bringing him into the fold.  Eduardo Escobar could have been a great option as he has the ability to play many positions, but he has already chosen to sign an extension with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Adeiny Hechavarria was phenomenal on the defensive side for the Yankees at both third base and shortstop after he was claimed through waivers late in the season.  Although he does not hit at the level of Machado or Escobar, he could be a solid option for shortstop as his defense is very valuable.

Nonetheless, the team should pursue a player that has a bit more offensive potential with great defense at numerous positions such as Jose Iglesias.  In 125 games for the Detroit Tigers, Iglesias held a slash line of .269/.310/.389, which is preferable to the slash line of .247/.279/.345 for Hechavarria.

According to FanGraphs, Iglesias held a 9.7 UZR/150 last season at shortstop.  Only Francisco Lindor (13.4) and Andrelton Simmons (19.5) ranked higher on the defensive end in this stat.  When Gregorius returns, Iglesias would also still be helpful to the team by filling in at third base if Miguel Andujar does not improve on his -24.5 UZR/150 at third base.

Iglesias made $6.25 million in the final year of his contract with the Tigers in 2018.  As he is now a free agent, the Yankees could potentially obtain him with a contract similar to the extension Ken Rosenthal predicts for Jed Lowrie to receive of two years, $15 million.

This may seem like a lot for a player that will be relegated for a backup role upon the return of Gregorius, but it is a price the Yankees should look to pay in order to give the team the best option to win from the end of March through August.  This would also allow the team to not rush Gregorius back into the lineup while also having a backup option on defense at third base.

The New York Yankees have a talented group of outfielders under contract/team control for the 2019 season, but there is one outfielder in particular that would still provide a significant upgrade for the team.

After going hitless in 8 postseason at bats, the New York Yankees may be ready to move on from Brett Gardner as their starting left fielder.  This was apparent when manager Aaron Boone opted to mainly start Andrew McCutchen over Gardner in left field during both September and October.

With Aaron Judge in right field, Aaron Hicks in center field, Giancarlo Stanton at designated hitter, the Yankees will have an open spot in left field as Gardner and McCutchen are both headed for free agency.  Gardner could be back to the Yankees next season if he is willing to be a fourth outfielder as he is a clubhouse leader while he also remains a very solid defender and base runner.

As the Yankees are in win-now mode with a young group of players, the team would be better off chasing a former MVP that will reach free agency at 26-years-old this offseason, Bryce Harper.  Harper holds a career slash line of .279/.388/.512 alongside 184 career HRs and 183 career 2Bs.  He is also already a six-time National League All-Star (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018), a one-time Hank Aaron Award winner (2015), and a one-time National League MVP (2015).

It is widely expected that Harper will be able to secure a 10-year or 13-year contract offer, but it would make sense for the Yankees to try to obtain his services with short-term offer.  As Gregorius, Hicks, and Betances are set to reach free agency prior to the 2020 season and Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Luis Severino are set to soon reach pricy arbitration paydays, the Yankees may want to avoid future financial restrictions.

The mission to get under the luxury tax threshold prior to the 2019 season was due to a new philosophy of the front office that a championship team can be built without needing the highest payroll.  However, another reason is that the front office does not want to help other teams be competitive by shelling out millions in luxury tax to opposing teams.  Due to this, it could be advantageous for both Harper and the Yankees to agree to a short-term pact.

This would allow the Yankees to have an incredible lineup in the short-term while also allowing Harper to reach free agency again at 28, 29, or 30 years old.  Harper could very well still be in position to receive a 10-year contract at any of those points as well.

Convincing Harper to sign a short-term contract would most likely involve the Yankees needing to offer a three-year contract with two player options that ranges from $35-40 million in salary per year.  This could put a final contract in the range of 3 years, $112.5 million or 5 years, $187.5 million if both player options are exercised.  A contract like this would allow Harper to compete on a championship caliber team while also having the opportunity to soon return to free agency.

The New York Yankees essentially only have two starting pitchers under contract that they can count on to contribute to the team in 2019.  Due to this, many rotation reinforcements will be needed.

Masahiro Tanaka is under contract through the 2020 season and Luis Severino is under team control through the 2022 season.  Outside of these two starting pitchers, the remaining options for the 2019 rotation would need to come from inside of the organization if no free agents are signed.

This could leave the Yankees with a bleak starting rotation consisting of Tanaka, Severino, Domingo German, Luis Cessa, and Justus Sheffield.  As starting pitching was an issue for the Yankees throughout the entire 2018 season, the team needs to be aggressive with improving the 2019 rotation.

Due to their current starting rotation situation, the Yankees will likely need to bring in three starting pitchers during free agency.  These three pitchers should be a certain trio of left-handed starting pitchers that are set to become free agents.  This trio consists of CC Sabathia, J.A. Happ, and Patrick Corbin.

Sabathia has confirmed that he would like to return for the 2019 season.  During 2018, Sabathia went 9-7 through 29 starts with a 3.65 ERA, a 4.16 FIP, and a 1.314 WHIP.  These numbers are fairly similar to the ones he put up in 2017, so it is likely that the Yankees could retain him on another one-year, $10 million contract.

The Yankees traded away Brandon Drury and Billy McKinney to acquire Happ prior to the 2018 trade deadline.  Although he did not perform well in his only postseason start against the Boston Red Sox on October 5th, part of that is likely due to pitching against them as recently as September 28th and September 18th.

Due to this, his 7-0 record with a 2.69 ERA, a 4.21 FIP, and a 1.052 WHIP through his 11 starts with the Yankees should hold more weight than one rough October outing when considering whether or not to bring him back to the Bronx next season.  As Happ made $13 million in each of the past two seasons, and as he recently turned 36-years-old, it is likely that the Yankees could retain him on a two-year, $26-30 million contract.

Corbin will be a Cy Young candidate in the National League after going 11-7 with a 3.15 ERA, a 2.47 FIP, and a 1.050 WHIP through 33 starts in 2018.  Corbin will only turn 30-years-old in July of 2019, so he will likely command a seven-year contract at a $20-25 million per year value.

A rotation that consists of Patrick Corbin, Luis Severino, J.A. Happ, Masahiro Tanaka, and CC Sabathia would give the Yankees a great opportunity to win the American League East, regardless of any additional offensive upgrades to the team.  Chance Adams, Domingo German, Justus Sheffield, and (eventually) Jordan Montgomery could all then serve as viable replacement options if there is an injury to one of the five starters.

Recap of the Eight Potential Moves for Brian Cashman this Offseason

8. Trade Sonny Gray to the Milwaukee Brewers for Jordan Lyles

7. Sign Jose Iglesias to a two-year, $15 million contract

6. Sign Bryce Harper to a three-year, $112.5 million contract with two player options

5-4. Sign David Robertson to a two-year, $20 million contract with one team option and Zach Britton to a three-year, $36 million contract with one team option.

3-1. Sign CC Sabathia to a one-year, $10 million contract, J.A. Happ to a two-year, $28 million contract, and Patrick Corbin to a seven-year, $157.5 million contract