The NY Yankees have some major holes to fill this offseason and names like Max Scherzer or James Shields could be targets on the free agent market for Brian Cashman, while trade deals like Troy Tulowitzki, Cole Hamels or Jordan Zimmermann also could be potential options, as New York desperately needs some depth behind CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka in the pitching rotation in 2015.
The Yankees signed Chase Headley to a free agent deal and allowed both David Robertson and Brandon McCarthy to sign elsewhere and now Cashman has to decide what moves are next for New York. According to Hardball Talk, it's unlikely that the Yankees make a run at Scherzer, as they have said multiple times that they do not want to give out a contract at the length and size he is looking for. Some execs have said to never count out the Yankees when it comes to major free agent deals, but right now a contract for Scherzer is unlikely.
Shields is also on the market and he would be a good fit for the Yankees, as he is an innings eater and would help stabilize the rotation. Shields will cost a nice amount, but not nearly as much as Scherzer and he would fit a major need for the team. Shields is coming off of two solid seasons with the Royals and he is basically a lock for 200 innings, which is exactly what the Yankees need coming into 23015. The team has a number of pitchers coming back from injuries and while they signed Andrew Miller, the team lost Robertson and that could make the bullpen slightly weaker.
Shields would give the team some insurance for that since he goes deep into games, but the Yankees may not want to pay up for him either. Cole Hamels and Zimmermann are trade options, but the Yankees farm system is already very weak and they likely don't have the prospects to make a deal. Hamels has a ton of money due over the next few seasons, while the Nationals likely will not give up Zim without getting a big haul. Reports have the team checking in on Tulo with the Rockies, but ESPN.com reports that the deal is very unlikely to happen.
The Yankees won 84 games last season and finished back in the wild card race and now they have some improved teams in the AL East to deal with as well. The Red Sox and the Blue Jays have made some big moves this offseason, adding names like Josh Donaldson, Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez and that could put both of those teams ahead of the Yankees. The team is looking to keep payroll down over the next few years as they try and build things for a sustained run, but that runs against the "win now" mentality of the franchise.
Last season the Yankees dealt with a ton of injuries and also had players have mediocre years and they desperately need some offense in 2015. Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran and Jacoby Ellsbury all had down years based on their past performances and they need to bounce back. Sabathia and Tanaka dealt with injuries and the Yankees are hoping they can remain healthy through the season. Cashman has done a good job over the past few years at getting some midlevel options that have worked out and he may have to do that again.
