The NY Yankees are heading into the offseason after making the playoffs in 2015 and the team could think about dipping into the free agent market this winter. The team has needs at second base and in the starting rotation and names like David Price, Zack Greinke, Daniel Murphy, Ben Zobrist, Jeff Samardzija, Wei-Yin Chen, Howie Kendrick and Doug Fister could be potential targets.
The Yankees made it back to playoffs after missing out the past couple years and while the team could spend big again in free agency, the team is more likely to look at some mid-level players this winter. The Yankees basically have seven of their eight position players locked in for next season and they are still paying money to veterans like Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Jacoby Ellsbury, which could keep Cashman from signing someone like Greinke or Price.
The Yankees obviously could afford any free agent if they want to and the starting rotation is one of the main areas of need in the offseason. Masahiro Tanaka has the talent to be a number one starter, but his elbow has had issues and the team can't rely on him as the ace. CC Sabathia is way past his prime and the team is hoping to get something out of him through the rest of his contract and that could push Cashman to try and bring in an ace. Nathan Eovaldi, Ivan Nova and Adam Warren are solid back end options, but the Yankees need more up front.
Price and Greinke are likely going to get the biggest contracts among the pitchers, while players like Johnny Cueto, Mike Leake, Jordan Zimmermann and Scott Kazmir are also hitting the market. According to Jon Heyman at CBS Sports, the Yankees could consider going after players like Jeff Samardzija or Wei-Yin Chen, as they could be solid starters in the rotation and not cost as much as the top line players. Kazmir and Leake could fit into that as well, but the Yankees have not been linked to those players in reports.
Second base was the weakest position spot for the Yankees last season and this offseason Cashman is likely to target at least one player to try and fill that hole. Daniel Murphy might end up a whole lot cheaper after his World Series slump, while Ben Zobrist is the top player that could fill it, but he is expected to get a lot of attention on the market. Some cheaper options include Howie Kendrick and Sean Rodriguez, while Cashman also could consider making a trade for a second baseman.