Three Offseason Wishes for the Yankees

While I am not in charge of the New York Yankees, that does not stop me from making hypothetical roster moves every winter. The 2020–2021 offseason is pivotal in bringing a championship back to the Big Apple. Star infielder DJ Lemahieu is set to hit the open market, and all signs point to Brian Cashman backing up the Brinks truck to keep him in pinstripes. As both Cashman and Aaron Boone mentioned in their press conferences, the starting pitching needs help, especially after the Game 2 debacle. So, what would I do with the Yankees’ budget this offseason?

Priority number one would be resigning Lemahieu. In 195 games with the Yankees, Lemahieu has produced a .336/.386/.536 slash line to go along with 36 home runs and 8.8 WAR. A power-dependent lineup like the one the Yankees have constructed relies on table setters at the top of the lineup, and Lemahieu has arguably performed better than anyone in that form the last two seasons. To go along with his stellar offense, Lemahieu has turned in serviceable defense at multiple positions. While seemingly everyone else has missed significant time with injury the last two seasons, no Yankee has appeared in more games across that span than Lemahieu. Something along the lines of 3 years at $18-$22 million per year with a mutual option for year four sounds about right here.

While Luis Severino is set to return towards the middle of the 2021 season, adding a starting pitcher is still imperative for the Yankees. A Trevor Bauer-Gerrit Cole reunion is unlikely, but would certainly make for entertaining talk radio. Rather, targeting Marcus Stroman is both more likely and beneficial for the Yankees. Stroman, who opted out of the 2020 season, has experience pitching in the AL East with Toronto, and New York following a 2019 trade to the crosstown Mets. Stroman pitched to a 3.77 ERA in 11 starts for the Mets last season, and other than a bad 2018, has been a successful pitcher since 2014. In 2019, Stroman limited batters to a 4.1% barrel rate, and an average exit velocity of 88.2 MPH, his lowest since 2015. Despite below-average fastball velocity, Stroman has been adept at limiting hard contact, thanks to his deceptive delivery and movement. Due to his 2020 absence, Stroman will likely earn less than he is truly worth, but a shorter contract with a slightly higher AAV could benefit both parties.

Lastly, bringing back Masahiro Tanaka will go a long way towards solidifying the starting rotation. Tanaka, who has spent his entire seven big league seasons with the Yankees, has made 173 starts in pinstripes, never making less than 20 in a season. Working without elite fastball velocity, Tanaka excels due in part to his ability to limit traffic on the basepaths. In five of the last six seasons, Tanaka has ranked in the top ten percent of walk rate across the MLB. Tanaka has pitched to a 3.74 ERA/3.91 FIP in his seven seasons. Even more important than his regular season success, Tanaka had been dominant in the postseason before his 2020 debacle. In 46 playoff innings before 2020, Tanaka had pitched to a 1.76 ERA. Even with the two clunkers factored in, Tanaka’s playoff ERA is a 3.33. Tanaka’s ability to take the ball consistently, and his uptick in performance come the playoffs provides a stabilizing factor to the Yankee rotation. Tanaka will turn 32 this offseason, but a four-year deal with an AAV around $18 million is a reasonable gamble for Cashman to make.

It has been a long 11 seasons since the Yankees hoisted the championship trophy in 2009. For a team and fanbase so accustomed to winning, those 11 seasons have been an eternity. With a World Series win within their grasp, Brian Cashman should spare no expense this offseason and do all he can to bring a championship back to New York.

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