The Yankees have been on the hunt all winter to overhaul their starting rotation. This search led them to the commercial market.
The New York Yankees certainly seem to have made a lot of big moves this offseason. After all, they made numerous trades like Alex Verdugo, Trent Grishman and Juan Soto. But surprisingly, the Bombers have yet to spend a dime in MLB free agency. This was reported by MLB Trade Rumors on January 1st. New York was one of four teams entering 2024 without signing a major league free agent. They are joined by the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins and Colorado Rockies. No one knows if general manager Brian Cashman will be able to salvage that until spring training starts. However, he entered the trade market to find a new starting pitcher. USA Today’s Bob Nightingale made 10 predictions for the rest of the season on January 7th. One was that he would add another arm to the Yankees rotation. He said New York is working on a deal with the Chicago White Sox, despite New York’s reluctance to honor Dillon’s large suspension request. Nightingale also said the Yankees are in talks with the Miami Marlins for Jesus Luzardo and the Cleveland Indians for Shane Bieber. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported on Jan. 5 that New York has “genuine” interest in Kess. The club’s potential interest in Lusardo was first raised in a Jan. 3 report by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. In Bieber’s case, Nightingale’s report appears to be the first time he has been linked to the attackers. Recent Yankees moves and current free agent expectationsCashman’s white whale this offseason has been Japanese starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They did everything they could for his services, but the right-hander chose the Los Angeles Dodgers for a monster 12-year, $325 million contract.The Yankees have also been linked to free agent Jordan Montgomery since Nov. 23. However, it seems unlikely that he will be reunited with the 2014 MLB selection. The left-hander wants a new contract with the Texas Rangers. According to Randy Miller of NJ.com, New York is not interested in Shota Imana. However, National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell has expressed personal interest in coming to the Bronx, according to a Jan. 4 report from SNY’s Andy Martino. New York’s rotation needs depthKnowing that Soto could sign elsewhere in free agency next winter is a motivating factor for New York to continue through 2024. So it makes sense for Cashman to look for opportunities in both the free agent market and the commercial. However, you can imagine that Cashman would sign as a free agent if he had to choose. Bieber will be a free agent next winter, and both Cez and Lusardo will have years of control over the team. This may be attractive in theory, but it means a high purchase price. New York sent three minor league pitchers to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Verdugo. However, a deal with the San Diego Padres fell through. To acquire Grisham and Soto, the Yankees parted ways with catcher Kyle Higashioka and pitchers Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Johnny Brito and Randy Vazquez. Thorpe was one of New York’s best pitchers. King, Brito and Vasquez all reach the big league level in 2023. So while the Yankees may not want to sign more prospects to fill out their roster, they’re willing to do it if that’s the best way to fill out that part of the roster.
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