The NY Yankees may have some more moves to make before the 2015 season starts, as the team could look at James Shields or Yoan Moncada as free agent options, while a trade for Cole Hamels or Jordan Zimmermann is also possible, as Brian Cashman has been amazing prospects this winter and this comes as the GM has said that he would be open to an Alex Rodriguez meeting.
According to Andrew Marchand at ESPN.com, the Yankees could take a look at Moncada, as he is a free agent option after coming over from Cuba. Moncada can play multiple infield positions and while the Yankees signed Stephen Drew and Chase Headley this offseason, they have a bit of a hole at second base. The team has the money to spend if they want to and Marchand writes that one scout said he would be the number one pick in the draft if he was in it this year.
The Yankees have been reluctant to go crazy this winter, instead bringing in Andrew Miller and Headley on deals along with Did Gregorius in a trade. Marchand writes that the 19-year-old has been compared to Robinson Cano as well and that he could end up blossoming into a very strong player. Cashman and the Yankees have been cautious this year and that means it's likely this deal doesn't happen.
James Shields is another option for the Yankees and while there has not been much movement about him to New York, it would fit a major need for the team. The Yankees are coming back after dealing with injuries to CC Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda last season and that doesn't even include Ivan Nova and his Tommy John surgery. Adding a player like Shields would help deepen the rotation and since he has been on the market so long, it's likely his price has gone down a bit as well.
Shields is a durable player that has pitched in at least 200 innings nearly every year of his career and he has not dealt with any serious injuries. The Yankees need consistent pitchers that can go deep into games, as they had to tax their bullpen a great deal last season. Shields has been getting interest from a number of teams, with Bob Nightengale rebooting that the San Diego Padres are the favorites to sign him.
The Yankees previously reportedly did not want to meet with Rodriguez before spring training, with the NY Daily News reporting that they would meet him in Florida like every other player. Either way, Rodriguez has been getting some support from those in the organization, but overall the New York Post reports that he still has relationships he needs to repair after the way the past year has gone for him.
According to Boston Globe reporter Nick Cafardo, Cashman reportedly said that the team would be "happy" to meet with Rodriguez and this comes after reports came out that the team did not want to meet with him. Sources spoke to the NY Daily News and said that owner Hal Steinbrenner and team president Randy Levine did not want to meet with A-rod and turned down a request to do so.
