Yankees GM Brian Cashman was a visitor on the most recent version of The Entrance Workplace with Jim Bowden and Jim Duquette on MLB Community Radio on SiriusXM, and mentioned various matters associated to the Bronx Bombers’ offseason. Maybe most notably, some extra strikes might nonetheless doubtlessly happen, as Cashman mentioned the group would nonetheless like so as to add a left-handed hitting outfielder “to stability us out” within the left subject combine.
Whereas the Yankees have a noticeably right-handed heavy roster, left subject is definitely one of many solely positions that already has some stability, between switch-hitters Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Cabrera, plus the left-handed hitting Estevan Florial. Nonetheless, New York may favor to maneuver Cabrera throughout the diamond moderately than commit him to a fuller-time position in left subject, Florial continues to be an untested commodity on the MLB degree, and rumors proceed to swirl that the Yankees are attempting to commerce Hicks and at the least a few of the $30.5MM remaining on his contract.
Cashman cited the Hicks/Cabrera/Florial trio because the group’s “default” for left subject in lieu of another strikes, and famous that the Yankees are intrigued by what they see from their in-house choices. Cashman mentioned that Hicks “is totally recovered now” from the knee harm suffered in Recreation 5 of the ALDS, which stored Hicks from collaborating within the ALCS towards the Astros.
In different well being information, Cashman shared some particulars on Frankie Montas, following last week’s news that shoulder irritation would preserve Montas sidelined by the primary month of the season. Montas is simply set to start his regular offseason throwing program this coming week, and thus he’ll want extra time to totally ramp up. The best-hander visited Dr. Neal ElAttrache two weeks in the past, Cashman mentioned, and the silver lining is that Montas’ shoulder drawback doesn’t look like structural. “All of the diagnostic testing exhibits a thumbs up….and we’ll know much more because the throwing program commences,” Cashman mentioned.
With Montas now sidelined for at the least a part of the season, the Bombers’ acquisition of Carlos Rodon has turn out to be much more essential, because the beginning employees won’t miss a beat with Rodon becoming a member of Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes on the entrance finish of the rotation. Cashman revealed that the Yankees first tried to accumulate Rodon from the Giants previous to the commerce deadline, and although the membership “had our conversations with San Francisco” a couple of attainable deal, the Giants opted to maintain Rodon as a result of they felt they nonetheless had a shot at each reaching the playoffs and re-signing the left-hander this winter.
Because it occurred, the Giants completed 81-81 and missed the postseason, and Rodon departed for the Bronx on a six-year, $162MM contract. Even with the Yankees centered on Aaron Judge, Cashman mentioned the group “stayed in contact with [agent] Scott Boras and Rodon,” and the GM felt the Yankees had been helped as a result of “I do know that that is the place [Rodon] needed to be.”
Rodon’s curiosity in carrying the pinstripes was a lift to a membership whose complete offseason was roughly placed on maintain whereas Decide made his determination. Even amidst the fast-moving nature of this winter’s free agent market, “fortunately there have been issues on the board nonetheless after [Judge re-signed], since we weren’t certain what was going to be in play,” Cashman famous. As soon as Decide had formally agreed to return to New York, “finally we had been capable of pivot” to additionally land Rodon.
There was actually some danger concerned within the course of of creating such a precedence of Decide, as “actually no group desires that situation the place you set all of your eggs in that basket after which the basket comes up with goose eggs,” Cashman mentioned. Nonetheless, the entrance workplace had little alternative however to attend for Decide’s determination, particularly for the reason that AL MVP and his camp gave seemingly little details about which means he was leaning, regardless of Decide’s public declaration that he most popular to stay with the Yankees.
“I felt like for a very long time we had been flying blind,” Cashman mentioned. “Usually you type of get a really feel for the place issues are at, and should you can come to the appropriate quantity, otherwise you get the numbers whispered….My speculative thought on [Judge’s] finish was that he earned the appropriate to free company and he was going to undergo that course of in a really methodical, deliberate means.”
“When it comes to negotiation, that ready recreation….at instances, it was troublesome.”
Happily for Cashman, the Yankees, and the Bronx followers, Decide selected to re-sign for a nine-year, $360MM deal, and he’ll stay because the centerpiece of New York’s lineup. When it comes to one other returning face, “hopefully we’ve pure well being on DJ LeMahieu’s aspect,” Cashman famous, “since he was an enormous half that we misplaced final yr, actually the final two years with two separate accidents.”
A sports activities hernia stored LeMahieu from collaborating within the 2021 postseason, whereas a ligament difficulty in his proper foot/toe space sidelined him for final yr’s playoffs. It wasn’t completely clear whether or not or not LeMahieu would finally want surgical procedure to right the issue, and whereas Cashman didn’t firmly present an replace on the infielder’s standing somehow, the dearth of reports might be a very good omen that LeMahieu’s efforts to rehab the harm with out surgical procedure are working.
If LeMahieu is wholesome, Cashman described his position as an infielder who can play day by day whereas bouncing across the infield, enjoying first base, second base, and third base. Breaking down the beginning infield, Cashman cited Anthony Rizzo at first base, Gleyber Torres at second base, Josh Donaldson at third base, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa competing with star prospects Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe for the shortstop job. Naturally there nonetheless is likely to be some flux on this plan, relying on LeMahieu’s well being and the truth that Donaldson can also be reportedly a participant the Yankees are attempting to unload so as to avoid wasting payroll area.
