As they are now fully in off-season mode, many are wondering what kind of moves the Yankees front office should make before 2023. After a disappointing second half, it was made clear that the Yankees just don’t have the depth that they did earlier in the year. While they have young upstarts with bright futures such as Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza and Jasson Dominguez, they could use an upgrade to their offense.
With superstar Aaron Judge’s contract expiring at the end of the 2022 season, the Yankees are now looking to be in “full spending” mode in order to secure him for many years to come. As the most powerful offensive force in the MLB, Judge will come at a very high price, but it would be in the Yankees’ best interest to open the checkbook up for him.
Without Judge, they will be missing a very important defensive player, and the centerpiece of their offense. Some argue that he should be resigned and named “The Captain” of the franchise, while getting a major payday.
As always, the Yankees’ front office has the funds to spend big this off-season, but it will be interesting to see how things play out.
Going after Trea Turner
Currently, a free-agent, the speedy middle infielder, Trea Turner, is someone that the Yankees would be wise to pursue. Able to play multiple different positions, signing him would be a potentially game-changing move. His rare combination of speed and power puts him above others in his class, and has helped him make quite a career for himself.
Swinging to the tune of a .298 batting average, 100 RBIs, and 21 home runs, he put all of his tools to good use throughout the 2022 season. He also added 27 stolen bases to those totals as well, putting him in the top five in the NL for that category.
With his versatility offensively, the Yankees could put him at the top of their lineup and be confident that they will have consistent production from Turner all year.
Adding a Bullpen Option
In the aftermath of the disastrous season from the once-dominating closing pitcher, Aroldis Chapman, the Yankees are actively looking for another reliable bullpen option. With the issues off the field involving Chapman at the end of the regular season, and his contract expiring, it would be highly unlikely that the Yankees would show any interest in bringing him back.
Not to mention that the 2022 season happened to be the most disappointing year of his career, posting career highs in ERA and WHIP. He also posted the lowest strikeout rate of his career, by a significant margin while walking almost as many as he struck out.
With Chapman likely being on his way out, it would be a perfect opportunity for the Yankees to pursue someone like Edwin Diaz to fill the void in the bullpen slot. With Diaz coming off yet another dominant season as the New York Mets’ closing pitcher, he would also come with a hefty price, but he might end up being a good move. After recording a very successful 2022 season, posting a measly 1.31 ERA, he would be a great option for locking down opposing offenses late in the game.
Moving Forward
As the 2022 postseason comes to a close, and the off-season is on the horizon, many teams will be looking to sign their next superstar. The Yankees have the ability to sign some big names, but it will take Brian Cashman opening up the checkbook to make that happen. With the aforementioned names in this article being added to the roster, the Yankees could potentially have one of the most powerful teams that they’ve had in years.
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Featured image courtesy of Bob DeChiara / USA Today Sports
Additional image courtesy of Jim McIssac / Getty Images
Additional image courtesy of Jason Szenes / New York Post
Statistics courtesy of baseball-reference.com
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