After watching the New York Mets dominate the offseason, the pressure is on the New York Yankees to make a move.
It has been a quiet offseason for the New York Yankees. They did make a move on Wednesday, acquiring outfield depth with their trade for Greg Allen, but have done little else. They reportedly want to bring back DJ LeMahieu, but are far apart in financial terms. There has been silence as far as bringing Masahiro Tanaka back, but that is presumably until they figure out what is going on with LeMahieu.
That has not been the case with the Mets. Steve Cohen had seemingly thrown down the gauntlet when he proclaimed that they would begin to act as a larger market team should. The franchise has backed up those words, especially with their trade for Francisco Lindor on Thursday.
These moves put the Yankees in an unfamiliar place. They are, on paper, the second best team in the city right now. This is a situation that would not stand during the days of George Steinbrenner, who would be handing out blank checks to anyone and everyone at this point.
Even though those days are in the past, and the Yankees have begun talking about ‘financial responsibility,’ the fact remains that these are the New York Yankees. They expect to contend for championships, and anything less than a World Series title is a disappointment. Having gone more than a decade without appearing in the Fall Classic for the first time since the 1910s is a travesty for the franchise.
The Mets moves, and sudden rise to relevance in the city, make the situation even worse. The Yankees are being overlooked, with Cohen and the Mets stealing the page pages and garnering the headlines. It is time for the Yankees to awaken from their hibernation and do something.
Perhaps that something is to bring LeMahieu back, and then focus on a rotation that definitely needs help. Or perhaps that something is to add depth in their bullpen, attempting to overcome a weaker pitching staff. Or maybe they pull off a trade, addressing second or short, or maybe even the catcher position.
The New York Yankees need to do something. The Mets have placed the pressure squarely on Brian Cashman to improve the Yankees’ roster and make a move.