The New York Yankees are coming off of a disappointing season after missing out on the playoffs for just the second time in quite a few years and with the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series, now might be the time for the Yankees to spend like they used to and some reports have the team looking at Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Garza and Stephen Drew as well as Carlos Beltran, Shin-Soo Choo, Brian McCann and Masahiro Tanaka.
The Yankees obviously will be going after second baseman Robinson Cano initially, but if his number gets too high, don't be surprised if the Yankees let him go after previously dealing with a big contract like A-Rod's. Many assumed that the team would be more conservative after spending all that money, but now CBS Sports is reporting that the team could go after a number of free agents, including Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Garza and Stephen Drew as well as Carlos Beltran, Shin-Soo Choo, Brian McCann and Masahiro Tanaka.
Ellsbury should be one of the top free agents on the market after playing in the World Series and despite being injured in 2012, he had a great season in 2011 and this year he hit near .300 and stole over 50 bases and he could be a centerfield option for the team if they let Curtis Granderson go. The Yankees are hoping to sign Cano at less than 10 years and that would enable the team to go after more free agents, including some of the names listed above. Carlos Beltran is a player they have coveted for quite some time and after dealing with issues at catcher this season, they could be in the market for someone like McCann.
Cano reportedly wants $300 million and right now the two sides are over $100 million apart and now there is a chance the Yankees could double down and spend big once again like they used to. Garza was traded from the Cubs to the Rangers this season and is one of the top pitchers on the market, while Tanaka looks to be the next to Japanese import. The Yankees will have some money with a number of players like Mariano Rivera and Phil Hughes as well as Andy Pettitte, Hiroki Kuroda and Joba Chamberlain coming off the books and with Derek Jeter still likely hobbled, Drew could be a solid option in free agency to help him play DH some more.
Cano is going to have some suitors after hitting over .300 again with 27 home runs and over 100 RBIs and Tanaka could be an interesting option since he is young and the Rangers and Dodgers could be in on him as well after he won 24 games in Japan. Ellsbury will get paid since he is a Scott Boras client and the idea of Garza and Drew could be perfect for the Yankees, as they are solid free agent players that may not command too much money and that means they could try and stay in the market for Cano as well.
