The NY Yankees have been slow to make moves this offseason, but thinks could be heating up after Nelson Cruz was signed, as names like David Robertson, Andrew Miller, Max Scherzer, James Shields and Brandon McCarthy could be options and this comes as the LA Dodgers also have interest in the relievers, especially Miller.
Last season the Dodgers bullpen struggled and that is why they are one of the top teams chasing after Miller and potentially Robertson. It's unlikely that the Dodgers sign Robertson, but they appear to be going all in on Miller according to Buster Olney at ESPN.com, as they have been doing their research on the reliever. Miller had a strong season with the Baltimore Orioles and the Yankees have been looking at Miller as an option as well.
The Yankees want to re-sign Robertson, but he is asking for a four year deal for over $50 million and that could be too much to spend. The team is likely out of the mix for Scherzer, although some think they could pony up the cash for him or Shields. The Yankees would like to make some moves and one target to watch is Miller, as he could come in a bit cheaper than Robertson and close for him. Robertson is a great talent and while the Yankees would hate to lose a player they drafted and developed, it looks like that is happening.
Buster Olney reports that Miller is moving closer to a deal and that he could sign soon. Miller has "multiple three-year offers" and some teams could be willing to go four years. The Yankee sand the Dodgers are looking at Miller, as both want to add strength to their bullpens. Miller comes in after putting up a 2.02 ERA with 103 strikeouts over 62 innings and he is just 29 years old.
The Yankees missed the playoffs again last season and won 84 games and that came after spending half a billion on free agents and players. The team added Jacoby Ellsbury, Masahiro Tanaka and Brian McCann along with Carlos Beltran and those deals did not work out as planned. Those players may bounce back from injuries/bad seasons, but that is a lot to hope for among an expensive group of aging players. The Yankees spent themselves into this mess and now may have to spend themselves out of it as well.
Having Alex Rodriguez back is good for the fact that they don't have to waste that money this season, but he is a liability and they will have to find places to hit and play him. The team may lose Chase Headley in free agency and that would open a big void in the infield, as the team needs a backup for Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira. The team comes in after ranking 20th in the league in runs scored last season and they need to do much better, as they were in the bottom half in slugging and on base percentage.
