3 players for New York Yankees to target this offseason

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The New York Yankees find themselves with plenty of questions heading into the offseason.

Obviously, the biggest question involves Aaron Judge. After his historic performance in 2022, he is set to receive an impressive contract during the offseason. The question is whether or not the Yankees are willing to spend enough to bring him back. Add in questions at short, the outfield, and in the back of the rotation, and the Yankees find themselves in a difficult spot going forward.

Three players for New York Yankees to target

These are not the Yankees of George Steinbrenner. King George would break out the checkbook and buy the best talent possible. These days, the words “fiscal responsibility” are thrown about, leading to the Yankees having failed to win a championship since the patriarch of the franchise passed away. It is something that Yankees fans are tired of and are demanding results.

The New York Yankees have plenty of holes on their roster. Let’s take a look at three players they need to focus on this offseason.

Aaron Judge

This one is obvious. But that does not mean Aaron Judge should not be the focal point of the New York Yankees offseason.

Judge put together a free agency season for the ages. He set an American League record with his 62 homers, posting an impressive .311/.425/.686 batting line in his 696 plate appearances, driving in 131 runs and stealing 16 bases. Not only did he continue his stellar play in right, but he solidified center for the Yankees down the stretch as well.

He is going to be costly. Judge had turned down a seven year extension worth $217 million prior to the 2022 campaign, betting on himself to be worth even more. Now it is possible that he could get closer to $350 million, a dollar amount that the Yankees may not want to come close to.

But they really do not have a choice. Judge is a fan favorite and a cash machine for the Yankees, someone whose presence helps bring people to the ballpark. His jersey and merchandise are amongst the highest sellers in the game. The Yankees may not want to spend that much on any one player, or to enter the luxury tax, but they are going to have to. Judge is far too valuable.

The New York Yankees need Aaron Judge. Letting him go would be a tremendous mistake.

Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Andrew Benintendi

While most of the New York Yankees attention will be focused on Aaron Judge, there is another outfielder that they need to bring back.

Andrew Benintendi was exactly the piece they needed to solidify the lineup. A Gold Glove caliber left fielder, he makes plenty of contact and can draw a walk. It was not a surprise that he slotted all over the lineup, including appearances at the top of the batting order, before he was injured.

His injury also further exposed a fatal flaw for the Yankees. They were entirely too dependant on the home run for most of their offense, something that proved to be their undoing against the Astros. Not having Benintendi and DJ LeMaheiu in the lineup showed how flawed they were.

Benintendi is a free agent as well this offseason. He will arguably be the top left fielder available, and at 28 years old, is still in his prime. He may command a much higher salary than expected, but the Yankees absolutely need a player of his skillset in the lineup. Considering that he is open to a return and did begin to fare well once he became acclimated to New York, he should be someone the Yankees target.

The New York Yankees need another bat capable of producing high levels of contact in their lineup. Andrew Benintendi needs to be a priority for the Yankees this year.

Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Kodai Senga

The New York Yankees also have questions in their rotation, making the addition of another frontline starting pitcher a necessity.

The problem is that those players may be beyond the Yankees budget. Justin Verlander and/or Carlos Rodon would look great in pinstripes, but the financial aspect may not work. It is a matter of attempting to find someone who could produce similar numbers at a fraction of the cost.

Enter Kodai Senga. The longtime Nippon Professional Baseball star opted out of his contract after the 2022 season and is finally set to come stateside. He was one of the more dominant arms in Japan last year, posting a 1.94 ERA and a 1.056 WHiP with 156 strikeouts and 49 walks over his 144 innings. Senga has the potential to be a top of the rotation arm at a fraction of the price.

There is a degree of risk as well. Senga has two plus pitches in his fastball and splitter, but the rest of his arsenal is considered somewhat fringy. It is the type of profile that could also play up as a late inning reliever, something else the Yankees need, but he is going to get a look in the rotation first.

The New York Yankees need another piece in their rotation. Kodai Senga may be an unknown, but he could be the answer at a fraction of the price.

dark. Next. Judge may be backing the Yankees into a corner

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