2021-2022 Off Season Thread

[Strategerie]

My plan would likely be somewhat similar to False's (see page 2):

1. Sign Seager (SS)- perfect fit in the lineup, still very young and solid defensively at SS over a long term deal he could slide over to 3B eventually for a better defensive option like Peraza.
2. Trade for Jose Ramirez (3B)- High probability he's not available until at least the deadline though, but I think you try to bowl Cleveland over with a really strong offer in the offseason. Ideally Gleyber would be the centerpiece coupled with a strong prospect like Gil and a few others (maybe Voit, Green and/or German) or ideally prospects that are on or would need to be added to the 40 man. If I had to I'd be ok selling high of Volpe as the centerpiece, I don't know how much higher his value can go as he's already flashing ceiling level talent and there's already talk that he might be a 2B or 3B long term which will decrease his value at some point if true. Not saying I want to deal Volpe and would try to avoid it, but Jose Ramirez is a top 10 (possibly 5) player in the game priced at a reasonable amount, he offers a good 40-50M in incremental value relative to his deal, worth trading a top prospect for, no question. I'd also look to get Bradley Zimmer (CF) in this deal, top notch defensive OF and lefty bat that can hit RHP decently. He'd also replace Wade as a late inning Pinch Runner and defensive replacement.
3. Sign Scherzer or ERod (SP)- I'd prefer Scherzer for obvious reasons and hopefully Hal could be convinced to blank check this season on a short term deal, but if not Scherezer I think ERod is the next most dependable top of the rotation option out there in my view and a good long term option. And his 2021 is kind of deceiving as he's been better than his numbers, plus unlike other options like Ray or Gausman he's not as likely to bust given his stability in the AL East as a left handed starter pitching in Fenway in front of subpar defense. I do think the team needs another top end starter to get through the postseason. I don't think we can really rely on repeats from the current pitching staff (Cortes, Monty, etc.), similar to the offense this year we have to expect some regressions and add here especially with lingering question marks about Cole. Even with Sevy returning, we have to plan on a big injury and some regressions.
4. Trade for Luis Castillo (SP)- Greed in the rotation is always needed in my opinion. I'm using Jordan Montgomery here is the prime chip, don't necessarily want to trade him, but his value is high and I'm cashing in to upgrade that spot for a starter like Castillo. Medina is the next big piece in the trade, tough to lose given his upside, but I think worth it. I'm including Green or Domingo German for extra ammo, but I have both being traded in the offseason. And probably need one more prospect such as Gomez or Schmidt or ideally Abreu, I'll say Gomez for now. They were also keen on Gleyber so there could be an option for him instead of Monty if he's not included in the Jose Ramirez trade. But I'm going fishing for big fish and my main lures are Gleyber, Monty and Volpe (if absolutely needed). If not Castillo, German Marquez, Sandy Alcantara, Frankie Montas, or Zac Gallen could all be options if they're available.
5. Trade for/Sign Trevor Barnhardt (C)- top notch defender, good against RHP, an additional piece to Castillo trade, but wouldn't be expensive on his own given he only 1 year of control (assuming they pick up the option) plus Cincy is already set at C. Let's assume he gets included in the Castillo deal though. Sanchez must go, I think a non-tender is probably the route, but would of course try to trade him first for a lotto ticket prospect or something. I was on the fence about Sanchez last year, but ultimately leaned towards parting ways and going with a guy like Barnhardt last year, but now it is clear as day that for both the Yankees and Sanchez's sake they need to part ways, he cannot be there catcher next year under any circumstances.
6. Sign Mitch Moreland (1B)- lefty 1B, locks up the defense. Would love Rizzo back, but don't think its realistic with the rest of what I have above and I'd prioritize SS and SP. This could create an avenue to keep Voit a little longer which I'd have heart for, but for now I'm assuming we trade Voit
7. Trade for Trey Mancini (1B/OF/DH)- Really good bang for the buck here. He could rotate into DH and 1B and be an emergency OFer. Excellent against LHP so would be the RH pinch hitter off the bench for both Moreland and Barnhardt whenever he's not starting. I don't think he'll cost much in a trade, could be a match in a Voit trade or someone like Andujar who is younger and would fit well with the Orioles. I'd hate to trade either, but Mancini is a better fit than both. I think you pawn Nick Nelson off on them too. I'm going to say Mancini for Yankee castoffs Andujar, Nelson, and Wade. It works in the trade simulator too as somehow Wade has value.
7. Gio learns OF- I'm keeping Urshela, he'll be the super sub in the INF (SS, 3B, Ramirez slides over to 2B, DJ can slide over to 1B) and I think he can easily play some corner OF if needed.
8. Open competition in OF/DH- Gallo, Judge, Stanton are fixtures in the lineup. Stanton should play more OF to use the DH more dynamically, but I hold an open competition between Hicks, Gio, Florial, Zimmer, Frazier (if healthy), Andujar (if not traded) and maybe even Greg Allen. This gives them a number of options including a platoon of Zimmer and a righty bat. It gives a guy like Florial an opportunity to take a starting role next year if he shows he's ready. It gives high upside bats like Frazier and Andujar a chance to earn their way back as well. And if there's no one biting on Voit it gives them an option to hold onto Voit and use him frequently at DH while giving more full days off early in the season to guys like Stanton and Judge. I actually kind of like that option the most, but am expecting to see Voit traded.
9. Our new manager is Matt Quataro- its time to steal from the Rays. I could see guys like Espada or even Beltran being prime targets and higher likihood given past Yankee connections, but the Yankees are one of the few big market teams trying to compete that haven't stole from the Rays yet and if you can't beat them its time to poach their braintrust. Quataro was also a finalist for the San Francisco job.

Departures (trade/cut/do-not re-sign): Gardner (cut), Green (trade), Sanchez (non-tender), Torres (trade), Monty (trade), German (trade), Wade (trade/cut), Rizzo (don't re-sign, boo), Kluber (don't re-sign), Gil (trade), Voit (trade), Gomez (trade), Nelson (cut/trade), Medina (trade), Joely Rodriguez (decline option), Odor (cut/trade), Andujar (trade), Abreu (trade), Boone (run not walk away)

Acquisitions: Seager, Ramirez, Scherzer/ERod, Castillo, Barnhardt, Mancini, Zimmer, Quataro

Position Players (13)
Seager- SS
Judge- RF/CF
Ramirez- 3B/2B
Stanton- LF/DH
Gallo- CF/RF/LF
DJ- 2B/1B
Moreland- 1B
Gio- 3B/SS/LF
Barnhardt- C
Mancini- 1B/DH/OF
Zimmer- CF
Higgy- C
Hicks/Frazier/Florial- OF (assume at least one of Hicks or Frazier is injured)

Pitchers (13)
Cole- SP
Scherzer/ERod- SP
Castillo- SP
Sevy- SP
Taillon- SP
Cortes- SP/RP
Chapman- RP
Loasiga- RP
Holmes- RP
Peralta- RP
Leutge- RP
King- RP
O'Day- RP - probably takes the player option, worth keeping around if he does rather than buying him out. He's never healthy, but good when he is. Ridings takes this spot on the first injury.

I did some rough math and this would take the payroll to about $300M. It would also require further selling of prospects.

As an aside, O'Day either is retired or will retire.

[RoyWilliams]

Sadly, I don't think is correct. I think he has the player option for $2.3MM first and foremost. If he declines that player option, the team can either exercise their team option of $7.15MM or buy him out for $1.15MM.

This was some tomfoolery to try and reduce Garnder's AAV (when they should have reduced it to $0 by letting him walk). He got a $1.85MM salary in '21, a $1m signing bonus, and the $2.3MM player option to total up to $5.15MM and reduce his AAV to ~$2.6MM. Of course the only way Gardner declines his $2.3MM option is if he thinks either the Yankees will exercise their option, or buy him out so he can collect the $1.15MM and then try to beat a 1/$2.3MM deal on the market. We all know how that's going to end up.

Per Cotts:

Brett Gardner lf
1 year/$5.15M (2021), plus 2022 options

• 1 year/$5.15M (2021), plus 2022 options
  • re-signed by NY Yankees as a free agent 2/22/21
  • $1M signing bonus
  • 21:$1.85M, 22:$2.3M player option or $7.15M club option ($1.15M buyout)

TL;DR: ultimately, Brett Gardner decides whether he's a Yankee next year, not Brian Cashman. I wonder who Cashman was bidding against for Gardner's services to give him that second year option? Must have been fierce competition. I'm not being too hyperbolic when I say that I think there's a chance that Cashman would exercise that team option if Gardner miraculously declined his player option. Legacy treasure Brett Gardner for an incremental $6MM or buyout for $1.15MM? No brainer says Cashman.

Well that was a quote in the paper

[JLJ81]

This is the kind of stuff I find really frustrating...

So the Astros let Cole walk and we sign him at age 29 for 9 years 324 million.

The Astros extend Lance McCullers at age 28 for 5 year 85 million starting next season.

2021 regular season stats:

Cole
3.23 ERA, 16-8, 1.059 WHIP

McCullers
3.16 ERA, 13-5, 1.22 WHIP

2021 playoff start

Cole
13.50 ERA, 0-1, 2.0 IP, 3.00 WHIP, 4 H, 2 HR, 3 K

McCullers
0.00 ERA, 1-0, 6.2 IP, 0.60 WHIP, 4 H, 0 HR, 4 K

Even when the Yankees spend big money like we want they get screwed.

[ymike673]

This is the kind of stuff I find really frustrating...

So the Astros let Cole walk and we sign him at age 29 for 9 years 324 million.

The Astros extend Lance McCullers at age 28 for 5 year 85 million starting next season.

2021 regular season stats:

Cole
3.23 ERA, 16-8, 1.059 WHIP

McCullers
3.16 ERA, 13-5, 1.22 WHIP

2021 playoff start

Cole
13.50 ERA, 0-1, 2.0 IP, 3.00 WHIP, 4 H, 2 HR, 3 K

McCullers
0.00 ERA, 1-0, 6.2 IP, 0.60 WHIP, 4 H, 0 HR, 4 K

Even when the Yankees spend big money like we want they get screwed.

So maybe the Astros have a better front office then we have?

[NelsonMuntz]

So maybe the Astros have a better front office then we have?

But haven't you heard? Cashman has 4 RINGS! And under his guidance the team has only missed the playoffs 4 times in 20 seasons!!!

/s

[jnewmark]

So maybe the Astros have a better front office then we have?

I'm just as disappointed with Cole as anybody else, but I don't remember too many of us that were unhappy when he got signed.

[Mixwell]

So maybe the Astros have a better front office then we have?

That's a given.

Hard to realistically criticize signing Cole though. He was one of the top 2 pitchers in the game when the ink went to paper. He was the leading candidate to win the Cy Young this year until the hamstring injury. Cole is and will remain one of our least pressing concerns.

Even if that wasn't true, you'd be hard pressed to find many people here who didn't want him. The biggest knock on Cashman only a couple years ago was his inability to acquire a true ace. With Cole, all it took was money, and Cashman had the unique Yankee ability to do so. It should be pointed out that there's nothing Cashman did to get him here other than that. So I am not going to criticize that move, nor really give him a lot of credit for it either. Anyone would have gotten him with the ability to offer $324M

[ojo]

That's a given.

Hard to realistically criticize signing Cole though. He was one of the top 2 pitchers in the game when the ink went to paper. He was the leading candidate to win the Cy Young this year until the hamstring injury. Cole is and will remain one of our least pressing concerns.

Even if that wasn't true, you'd be hard pressed to find many people here who didn't want him. The biggest knock on Cashman only a couple years ago was his inability to acquire a true ace. With Cole, all it took was money, and Cashman had the unique Yankee ability to do so. It should be pointed out that there's nothing Cashman did to get him here other than that. So I am not going to criticize that move, nor really give him a lot of credit for it either. Anyone would have gotten him with the ability to offer $324M

I mean, Cole literally shared a picture of himself as a kid holding up a sign at a playoff game at Yankee Stadium when he signed. The dude wanted to be a Yankee.

[Chaz]

I did some rough math and this would take the payroll to about $300M. It would also require further selling of prospects.

As an aside, O'Day either is retired or will retire.

Whether they should do this or not, the Yankees HAVE the resources to go well beyond $200M and probably $300M is achievable too. Of course, it would cut into Hal/Steinbrenner family’s lifestyle though.

[JLJ81]

Whether they should do this or not, the Yankees HAVE the resources to go well beyond $200M and probably $300M is achievable too. Of course, it would cut into Hal/Steinbrenner family’s lifestyle though.

Yup, that is the problem....the Astros let Cole walk and this year they had virtually the same payroll as the Yankees. They knew they couldn't afford him with their payroll just under the luxury tax. If the Yankees are going to pay someone 324 million over 9 years they have to run a payroll at 250 million or more every year because they do not develop talent as well as the Rays, Dodgers, or Astros which fills your roster with cheap talent.

[False1]

That's a given.

Hard to realistically criticize signing Cole though. He was one of the top 2 pitchers in the game when the ink went to paper. He was the leading candidate to win the Cy Young this year until the hamstring injury. Cole is and will remain one of our least pressing concerns.

Even if that wasn't true, you'd be hard pressed to find many people here who didn't want him. The biggest knock on Cashman only a couple years ago was his inability to acquire a true ace. With Cole, all it took was money, and Cashman had the unique Yankee ability to do so. It should be pointed out that there's nothing Cashman did to get him here other than that. So I am not going to criticize that move, nor really give him a lot of credit for it either. Anyone would have gotten him with the ability to offer $324M

I don't think many would criticize that signing. And you're right, the team has been sorely lacking a true ace for years while it had a juggernaut offense. But the true ace was an incremental need. Some of his incremental value gets offset by Gardner being a starting OF, by rolling the dice on Jay Bruce instead of getting a legit backup 1B, by the ghosts of Sanchez and Torres, by targeting reclamation projects in the rotation, by limiting trade deadline acquisition targets to players that the controlling team will literally pay you to take, by yanking the chains of prospects like Gil in order to jam Heaney down our throats, etc.

He has to get the ace AND finish the roster.

If they are going to pretend that saving relative pennies is a requirement for this humble franchise to squeeze out a meager profit, they need to stop doing dumb things with their pennies. Sanchez must not be tendered. Trade Gleyber now that he's earning arb money and apparently can only play 2B (and poorly at that). Cross your fingers that Gardner retires. See if you can unload some contracts that eat up a disproportionate amount of payroll. Stop handing out NTCs.

They should explore all those options, take those dollars and repurpose them - and finish this roster by acquiring elite FA talent and not limiting themselves to the CBT. There are several elite FA SS out there. Get one. There is an elite FA 1B out there. Get him if he can be convinced to leave his prior employer. They have chips in this system that keeps getting pillaged every rule V. Take some of those, and some of your top-of-the-deck chips, and see if you can pry away a Jose Ramirez or a Matt Olson. Or attach some talent to a Hicks deal that gets him off the books and get a CF that offers more upside and less injury risk.

Making it rain at the Cole residence isn't enough if the offset is they start neglecting other needs on the roster. I hope they don't wait until Cole's peak years are over to then decide they want to put more chips on the table.

[ClownPickle]

@FlippinBatsPod
"I'm not sure I expect the Yankees to move on from Aaron Boone. ... And I don't expect Anthony Rizzo to be on their team next year."
— The legendary@Ken_Rosenthal talks all things Pinstripes with @BenVerlander after New York failed to make the postseason

...so it sounds like they are doing the dumbest thing possible. Keeping Boone. Gleyber 2B (where he is worse than SS). Moving DJL to 1B. Stanton DH. Trading Voit.

They truly believe they are a SS away from fixing this infield, and I'd guess they are leaning Story.

[Zimmer's Helmet]

That's a given.

Hard to realistically criticize signing Cole though. He was one of the top 2 pitchers in the game when the ink went to paper. He was the leading candidate to win the Cy Young this year until the hamstring injury. Cole is and will remain one of our least pressing concerns.

Even if that wasn't true, you'd be hard pressed to find many people here who didn't want him. The biggest knock on Cashman only a couple years ago was his inability to acquire a true ace. With Cole, all it took was money, and Cashman had the unique Yankee ability to do so. It should be pointed out that there's nothing Cashman did to get him here other than that. So I am not going to criticize that move, nor really give him a lot of credit for it either. Anyone would have gotten him with the ability to offer $324M

The problem isn't so much that Cole hasn't lived up to expectations. The problem is the Yankees figured they had Cole and that was good enough.

This organization simply lacks the hunger and desire to win. Look at the Dodgers: they already had 3 aces in Buehler, Kershaw and Arias but that didn't prevent them from spending on Bauer, or trading for Scherzer when Bauer was put on leave. They understand the value of elite pitching and depth. Meanwhile Cashman is trading for guys like Heaney and signing reclamation projects.

[HelloNewman]

But haven't you heard? Cashman has 4 RINGS! And under his guidance the team has only missed the playoffs 4 times in 20 seasons!!!

/s

Yeah I love the "4 rings" thing too. Hey, can you imagine that 1999 team without Allen Watson? And it wasn't Stick or Bob Watson who got him, that was all ninja Cash! 4 rings lol!

[jpao89]

This is the kind of stuff I find really frustrating...

So the Astros let Cole walk and we sign him at age 29 for 9 years 324 million.

The Astros extend Lance McCullers at age 28 for 5 year 85 million starting next season.

A note on the Astros. They cheat. They got caught cheating and I refuse to believe they won’t continue given the light penalty they were given.

Having said that, Cashman signed a guy from an organization that he himself said was cheating. Was there perhaps a reason to suspect that maybe Cole’s improved spin rate was a product of that cheating factory?