The NY Yankees were not kidding when they said they were not going to sign Max Scherzer and with the 2015 season around the corner, Brian Cashman still has some options, as Cole Hamels could be available in a trade along with names like Cliff Lee, Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg and Doug Fister and this comes as James Shields remains the top option on the free agent market.
The Yankees have not been as active as other teams this offseason, but Cashman has a plan and the team may now target James Shields on the free agent market or a Cole Hamels trade to add to the signing of Chase Headley from earlier in the offseason. Max Scherzer signed with the Nationals and that gives the team a deep rotation and Hardball Talk reports that the team could be willing to trade Strasburg, Zimmermann or Fister this year.
The Yankees signed Andrew Miller to be the rock in the bullpen and he likely will take over the closers role with David Robertson in Chicago with the White Sox. The team wanted to keep Robertson, but they were not willing to meet his price and now Miller is the top arm along with Dellin Betances in the bullpen as eighth and ninth inning options. Gregorius was acquired in a three team deal with the Tigers and D-backs and now he will take over for Derek Jeter at shortstop.
The Yankees aren't expecting Didi Gregorius to be comparable to Derek Jeter with his stats or importance to the team, but now they have a player that can take over for years to come. Gregorius is under team control for a number of years, is a young player and he also plays above average defense. Gregorius may develop some pop and whatever he does at the position, if he plays strong defense he will be a worthwhile move for Cashman. Shane Greene was a young arm that could have developed into a legit rotation starter, but Cashman felt that adding Gregorius was a key move.
Miller had a very strong season for the Orioles last year and now he joins the Yankees, but the team likely needs to do more to make the playoffs. The Blue Jays and the Red Sox are both vastly improved, with Boston adding Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval in free agency. The Red Sox have replaced their rotation as well with Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Justin Masterson coming in, while the Jays have added Josh Donaldson in a major move.
Many have speculated that the Yankees could get in on the Shields bidding, as they could use to strengthen the rotation with Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia coming back from injuries. The Yankees won 84 games last season and missed the playoffs for the second straight year and one of the biggest issues for the team was the inability to score runs consistently. The team ranked 20th last season in runs and batting average and they were also 18th in team ERA.
Chase Headley was acquired last year and now he is in on a four year deal after weighing options on the free agent market and he may end up splitting time with Alex Rodriguez at third. Headley had some extra attention with Sandoval moving to the Red Sox and the Giants also were in the mix for the top pitchers on the market. The AL has some improved teams and with the Red Sox and Blue Jays making moves for 2015, the Yankees really have to have a bounce back year to be in the mix. The playoffs are possible, but the Yankees need to make more moves to make it happen.
