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On Friday, the New York Yankees signed free fielder DJ LeMahieu and starting pitcher Corey Kluber in what is considered their biggest addition this winter. LeMahieu cashed in a brilliant two-year pinstripe race, signing for six years and $ 90 million. Kluber, meanwhile, is hoping his one-year pact worth $ 11 million will allow him to restart his career after losing most of the last two seasons to injury.
While the Yankees have better lineup for the weekend than they did just a few days ago, it’s clear that Brian Cashman’s job isn’t done. With this in mind, let’s assess their competitive balanced tax situation before addressing three areas of need.
The Yankees were able to settle with all of their players eligible for arbitration, which means we have a clearer view of their tax number than we otherwise would. According to Cot’s contracts, the Yankees are expected to have just under $ 6 million of wiggle room between their current CBT number ($ 204 million) and the $ 210 million tax line.
That doesn’t mean the Yankees can spend only $ 6 million going forward – remember, the CBT calculation is based on the average annual value, not the total dollars spent, anyway – or whether they even care about avoiding the tax. They have passed it many times since its installation, and they seem certain to do so again this year.
The question is how far the Yankees are willing to push in the penalty. Teams are fined 20% of their surplus the first time they exceed the mark – and that would count as a first year for the Yankees – then an additional 12% if they exceed the tax line by more than $ 20 million. . There are tougher penalties for going over $ 40 million or more, but the Yankees seem highly unlikely to do so.
In theory, the Yankees could spend around $ 25 million and avoid that extra surcharge. If they wanted to save around $ 10 million, for in-season additions and as a general rainy day fund, then that figure is closer to $ 15 million. The Yankees could therefore fit another Kluber-type deal into their budget with room to spare.
What the Yankees can’t do – not without getting their ticket to the surtax zone – is bring back veteran right-hander Masahiro Tanaka for a salary similar to what he has earned throughout his MLB career ($ 20million). dollars and more). Who could woo the Yankees instead? Let’s take a look at their options in different places, starting with the starting rotation.
1. Start of rotation
The Yankees are expected to trot a starting five that includes Gerrit Cole, Kluber – quite well – then a combination of Jordan Montgomery, Deivi Garcia and Domingo German, who failed to pitch in 2020 while serving the rest of his resulting suspension. of a violation of the league’s domestic violence policy.
It seems unlikely that the Yankees’ rotation will these five names come on opening day, by plan or otherwise. For example, the Yankees might point to Garcia’s age (21) and his limited Triple-A experience (40 innings) as reasons he needs more time in minors – or, at least, whatever. or the form they take in spring and summer. .
Assuming the Yankees have an open rotational place to play with, they could theoretically fill it by promoting a different internal option – Michael King or Clarke Schmidt – or bringing Luis Severino back into the fold earlier than expected (he now has 11 months in his Tommy John surgical recovery, a process that tends to take a year or more). The most likely outcome, however, would seem that the Yankees will make another outside addition, either through free will or through trade.
The obvious independent candidate besides Tanaka is James Paxton, another member of recent Yankees teams. Beyond him, the Yankees could look to people like Adam Wainwright, Jake Odorizzi, Taijuan Walker, Jose Quintana or Trevor Cahill.
Commercially, the more realistic option is right-hander Joe Musgrove of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Yankees have also reportedly had an interest in Musgrove’s teammate Jameson Taillon in the past. Beyond them, the Yankees may have to bet on someone without a great record, like Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Vincent Velasquez.
2. Bullpen
You can expect almost all of the competing teams to make at least one addition to a paddock during the winter and before the trade deadline. The Yankees don’t have the flexibility to do much more than that.
Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, Chad Green and Luis Cessa are likely locks to make the list. That leaves three places if the Yankees carry eight relievers: one could go to Albert Abreu, who has no options and must be subject to waivers if he is not on the active roster; the other two could be filled thanks to an internal competition between Jonathan Loaisiga, Nick Nelson, Ben Heller, Brooks Kriske and other arms who are already on the list of 40 players.
If the Yankees get out of the organization, they could turn to a low-end option: an Anthony Bass, a Tony Watson, a Tyler Clippard, or even a Yusmeiro Petit. All four of those pitchers made it to the bottom of our top 60 free agent rankings.
3. Bench
The Yankees are also somewhat limited in what they can do on the bench. Backup receiver Kyle Higashioka and outfielder Mike Tauchman are both without options, which suggests they will each make the opening day roster provided they are in good health. The other two spots belong to left first baseman Mike Ford and spare infielder Tyler Wade.
If the Yankees are going to bump Ford or Wade at the minors – and Ford, due to his limited defensive value, seems more likely to leave – then the best candidate to take over is Miguel Andujar. Andujar hasn’t thrived since finishing second in the 2018 Rookie of the Year poll, but he has added an outfield to his defensive resume and could return to the Yankees’ plans with a strong spring.
Another challenger for Ford’s spot is outfielder Greg Allen, who the Yankees recently acquired from the San Diego Padres. Allen doesn’t offer much to the plate, but he has no options, and it stands to reason that the Yankees can see him as an immediate bench of speed and D. This secondary value could give it a head start over Ford. (Allen’s presence also gives the Yankees cover in case they can’t afford to bring Brett Gardner back on a low-cost one-year contract.)
As for Wade, the only real insider threat in his place is Thairo Estrada, who has shown promise in 2019. The Yankees, like most teams, like to have a backup shortstop available on the bench. This indicates that Wade or Estrada made the cut.
Coming back to the same enclosure and bench, overall, may not be the ideal outcome for the Yankees. But they might be willing to accept that reality if that’s the rent they’re paying to keep LeMahieu and add Kluber and another interesting starting pitcher.
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