Following the thrilling game on Wednesday night, general manager Brian Cashman of the Yankees met with media on Thursday afternoon. He talked about a few things regarding the future of the front office.
According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Cashman stated the team has not yet had any discussions about a long-term extension with Juan Soto’s camp. One year remains until the three-time All-Star enters free agency; MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a salary of $33 million. It is almost certain that Soto will decide to exercise his right to free agency. Now that he’s within a year of the open market, he wouldn’t sign for less than the $440 million that the Nationals offered him in the summer of 2022.
The GM conceded “it’s a possible short-term situation” with Soto. That didn’t deter the Yankees from making their all-in push to install him into the 2024 lineup alongside Aaron Judge. Between Soto, Alex Verdugo and Trent Grisham, they’ve added a trio of outfielders to better balance a lineup that struggled mightily when Judge was on the injured list. The 2022 AL MVP was out between June 4 and July 28 after injuring his right big toe in a collision with the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium.
Judge played regularly from the time of his reinstatement through the season’s end. While there wasn’t much doubt about his health status, Cashman confirmed Thursday that the toe problem is fully behind him (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com).
The Soto return was pitching heavy. Michael King headlined a group that also included Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez and Double-A prospect Drew Thorpe. After parting with so much of their rotation depth to push that trade over the finish line, Cashman said the team will look to backfill on the pitching staff (passed along by The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty).
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the biggest target when it comes to pitching. Next week, the MLB teams will meet with the NPB star. A few teams are making serious moves for the 25-year-old righty, including the Yankees. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Yamamoto is currently the club’s top priority.
It appears that the rotation is becoming more important than the bullpen. The Yankees were reportedly interested in free agent reliever Jordan Hicks, according to an article in The Athletic last night. Feinsand, though, plays down the team’s hopes for a big bullpen blowout. Although he states that the Yankees like Hicks, he suggests that if Yamamoto signs elsewhere, a noteworthy relief acquisition is more of a backup plan.
Leave a Reply