Now that we’re in the year 2024, the time until spring training for pitchers and catchers is suԀԀenly down to six weeks.
There is still work for the Yankees to do before then.
Even though the trade for Juan Soto kicked off the offseason on a high note, the process is far from over even though it has been almost a month. The move cost them three starting depth options (Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, and Drew Thorpe), one member of the starting rotation (Michael King), and increased the pressure to go all in in 2024 (as if the disappointment of an 82–80 season wasn’t bad enough).
The obvious next step would have been to acquire Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s services, but despite the Yankees’ best efforts, the Dodgers were able to snag him.
It is now somewhat less obvious what they should do to fill the void in their rotation.
Just one year ago, the Yankees re-signed Aaron Judge and added Carlos Rodon in the winter’s early days before doing nothing of note in January.
Instead of taking a chance on prospects Will Warren or Clayton Beeter as their fifth starter, they will need to continue accumulating in the next year after trading for Soto, Alex Verdugo, and reliever Victor Gonzalez.
Before heading to Tampa, the Yankees still have the following tasks to complete:
To round out the rotation, plus Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery have emerged as the top free agents in the pitching market.
Both left-handers are represented by Scott Boras, who may give them the green light to slowly increase the bidding process, even though many clubs are still looking for starting pitchers.
The Yankees would be better off with Montgomery than Snell, but the ex-Yankee is reportedly going to use Rodon’s six-year, $162 million deal as compensation.
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Jordan Montgomery and Frankie Montas
Even without Frankie Montas, the Yankees still have a chance to sign Jordan Montgomery.
The Yankees could use Montgomery’s reliability and consistency to bolster a rotation that is far from solid behind Gerrit Cole.
Shota Imanaga, a left-handed Japanese pitcher, is the only free agent worth considering beyond Snell and Montgomery.
If the Yankees can’t get some stability in their rotation, they may gаmble on another possible bounce-back arm for depth.
As for pitching prospects, the Yankees may try to trade for someone like Dylan Cease, Corbin Burnes, or Shane Bieber.
Although Burnes and Bieber only have one year of team control left before entering free agency, Cease has two. The White Sox might wait until the top free-agent starters sign before trying to get the most out of their right-hander, which might lead to an expensive price.
Have the Yankees got what it takes to trade from their farm system for Cease? They traded for Verdugo and Soto this offseason.
Is a bullpen useful?
As things stand, the Yankees’ bench and bullpen may be filled with either Jose Trevino or Austin Wells, Trent Grisham, Oswaldo Cabrera, or Oswaldo Peraza. However, it would be beneficial to have relief help, particularly in the event that they are unable to acquire a top-tier alternative to complement their current roster.
Perhaps the Yankees don’t need to shell out a ton of cash for relievers since they have a history of success identifying underappreciated bullpen guys and turning them into valuable assets.
Even though Wandy Peralta is still a free agent, the Dodgers’ acquisition of Gonzalez in a trade solved their need for a left-handed reliever.
However, if the starters are unable to complete games, strengthening the bullpen could be a good solution.
There is an opportunity for advancement since the race for the last two bullpen places is now expected to be between Nick Ramirez, Cody Morris, and Ron Marinaccio.
Complete the roster of coaches
The two most notable staff changes for the Yankees next season will be hitting coach James Rowson and bench coach Brad Ausmus.
The Yankees have yet to announce their second assistant coach, but Aaron Boone stated at last month’s winter meetings that hitting coach Casey Ԁykes will be returning under Rowson.