New York Yankees: Offseason Review
- Lou Orlando
- Feb 23, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Feb 24, 2021
Brian Cashman was faced with a difficult task this offseason. His job was to maintain a top tier roster all while staying under the league's $210 million luxury tax threshold.
The Yankees, like virtually every other team in the MLB, lost revenue in a 2020 COVID season that prevented them from having fans in attendance. Despite having the highest payroll in the MLB last season, the Yankees were eliminated in the AL Divisional Round. To pour salt in the wound, the Tampa Bay Rays found themselves in the World Series with just the 3rd lowest payroll in the MLB. This perfect storm create the running theme Yankee fans have not been able to escape all season: staying under the luxury tax.
Before we get to the additions, let's talk a bit about what we lost. We unfortunately had to say goodbye to starters Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton. The loss of Tanaka in particular hurts as he's been a fixture of this team since 2014. Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough money to sign him and make other moves without going over the luxury tax. Tommy Kahnle signed a 2 year deal with the Dodgers. While he will miss his first year recovering from Tommy John, we'll miss his presence anyway and he should be an elite reliever once he's healthy again. The Yanks traded Adam Ottavino this offseason, presummedly to clear up cap space. While his first year was good, he fell out of favor with manager Aaron Boone due to inconsistency and ultimately you shouldn't feel that bad about this one. They also let JA Happ walk, but at this point, that's more of a positive so feel free to cheer about that one.
The biggest concern of 99% of Yankee fans was resigning second basemen DJ LeMahieu. LeMahieu had been the best player on the Yankees for 2 straight seasons and finished Top 5 in MVP voting 2 years in a row. In his tenure with NY, he boasted a batting average of .336 and was the pinnacle of clutch hitting. His Game 6 home run against Houston in 2019 almost forced a Game 7 and his 2020 RBI single against Cleveland sent the Yanks to the ALDS. The two sides were at odds for much of the offseason as the Yankees refused to meet LeMahieu's initial asking price of 5 years $125 million. Both sides were unwavering and LeMahieu even began listening to offers from other teams. The process was not quick or easy but LeMahieu eventually settled for 6 years and $90 million. LeMahieu got the length and his guaranteed money and the Yankees got an AAV friendly contract that would allow them to make other moves without going over that fearsome luxury tax.
With LeMahieu inked, the Yankees could now go out and improve their weakest area -- pitching. Despite Gerrit Cole's monstrous signing just one year earlier, the Yankees rotation still had a lot of holes. The Yankees quickly signed 2-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber to a 1-year $11 million contract and traded Miguel Yajure and others for Pittsburgh's Jameson Taillon. Not satisfied with a bullpen no longer overflowing with great depth, they signed veteran sidewinder Darren O'Day and lefty reliever Justin Wilson. The Yankees used their remaining money to add some much needed depth to their bench. Former All-Star Jay Bruce was signed to a minor league contract and Reds slugger Derek Dietrich received a Non-Roster Invite to training camp. Robinson Chirinos, a member of the 2019 Houston Astros, was added as the 3rd string catcher. To the joy of diehard Yankee fans everywhere, veteran leader and career Yankee Brett Gardner was signed right before Spring Training to a 2-year $5 million deal with player and club options.
Now that we've covered all the signings, where does this leave the Yankees? The most important move of this offseason remains the resigning of DJ LeMahieu. This move keeps the Yankees offense in tact and cements DJ as the leadoff hitter for the foreseeable future. LeMahieu is widely considered the best pure hitter in all of baseball and his clutch hitting over the past 2 years, exemplified by a .384 batting average with runners in scoring position, is a major gamechanger. While the power bats of Judge, Stanton, and the like are a crucial part of the Yankees offense, LeMahieu's contact stroke is the key that keeps everything running smoothly. His signing ensures that the Yankees starting 9 can remain virtually unchanged, a reassuring fact for Yankee fans.
Last year, the Yankee's bullpen was exposed after the gut wrenching injury to Tommy Kahnle. Ottavino's struggles reduced the starpower of the pen to 3 key pieces: Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, and Chad Green. All 3 will remain but the signings of O'Day and Wilson should provide some much needed insurance. Darren O'Day may be 38 but his age shouldn't be a major red flag. He's made a living as the most successful sidewinder of this generation not named Chris Sale and his reliance on late movement instead of velocity should bode well. It's a small sample size (just 21.2 innings) but O'Day's ERA over the past 2 years is 1.25 and he's notorious for not giving up the long ball. Justin Wilson is a former Yankee who was traded to get us Chad Green. Now he's back after a 2 year stint with the Mets where he threw to a 2.91 ERA and a 143 ERA+, his best numbers with any team. Wilson's 2019 was the best season of his career and while his 2020 wasn't as good, he was still one of the few reliable arms in an otherwise untrustworthy Mets bullpen.
The additions of Bruce and Dietrich didn't make too much noise in the MLB but shouldn't go unnoticed. The Yankees are in dire need of quality lefty bats so these two might find themselves as a backup at some point this season if they make the team. They're both versatile fielders that can play infield and outfield positions and the Yankees are notorious for keeping to a small bench so versatility is a major asset in their eyes. It goes without saying that the most important bench signing is Brett Gardner. Don't worry Yankee fans, he's not starting over Clint. Clint will get the playing time he rightfully deserves, but Gardner will be a very important 4th outfielder. All Yankee outfielders (Judge, Stanton, Hicks, Frazier) have battled injuries and it would be a little naive to think that they'll all stay healthy. Gardner is a quality lefty bat with great speed and defense. His hustle on and off the field makes him a great asset and the Yankees can plug him in without missing a beat. It should be noted that Gardner is a very important clubhouse guy and his leadership role as a veteran has only increased since the retirement of CC Sabathia.
The biggest question for the Yankees this year will be their rotation. Unfortunately, their two additions may have added more questions than it answered. Kluber's peak was amazing. From 2014-2018, he was one of the best pitchers on the planet. Let's not forget that just 3 years ago, he finished 3rd in Cy Young voting. Past success aside, the simple fact is that Kluber basically hasn't pitched since 2018. He appeared in just 7 games in 2019 and lasted all of 1 inning in 2020. If he can stay healthy, it's quite possible we'll see something close to the prime Kluber. But that's a big "If". While we're on the topic of pitchers that haven't played in 2 seasons, let's talk about Jameson Taillon. In 2019, Taillon only pitched in 7 games before his second Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the rest of 2019 and 2020. Add to that a 2017 season where he missed time because of testicular cancer and you have a guy that has just been very unlucky. There's no denying his talent or his high ceiling, but it's another example of "if he stays healthy", a phrase often uttered in Yankee land that doesn't necessarily give fans optimism. Negativity aside, these signings raise the ceiling of the rotation a great deal.
I give this Yankee's offseason an A-. Forced to stay under the luxury tax, Cashman made the best out of what he had. Signing DJ was the main priority and he did just that. While there were no other blockbuster moves, Cashman addressed many of the key holes in this team and puts us in a great spot to contend this season.
SIGNING RECAPS
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