This article is probably a waste of time since nothing will change in the Yankees organization this offseason, but some of us can dream. The Yankees need a complete overhaul of the organization this offseason.
This is what should be done, starting from the top:
Sell the team:
Now I admit, there is a 0% chance this happens, but it is the best thing that could happen for the Yankees. Hal Steinbrenner doesn’t care about winning like his dad did. He cares about the bottom line of the organization, and how much money they can keep bringing in year after year. The Yankees should have the highest payroll in the league every single year, but they never do. They refuse to spend on big free agents anymore. Hal is satisfied just putting a team out there that will compete and make the playoffs, but never really contend for a title. They need new owners, who will take advantage of being the greatest organization in all of sports and will spend until they have the best team possible on the field.
Fire Cashman & Boone:
I will pair both together. Again, this is very unlikely because Hal loves Cashman and Cashman loves Boone, but this team needs new management. Starting with Cashman, it’s time for a change. He’s been GM of this team since 1998. 24 years of being GM and in the last 20 years, the Yankees have made it to one world series. In any sport, that GM is fired a long time ago. The GM’s job is to create a team that can win it all, and the Yankees haven’t had that team for 13 years. The worst part about Cashman is his regression the last few years. Last offseason he told us that the reason the Yankees lost was because of the players. He specifically pointed out SS as a “position of need.” Cashman then, in the greatest FA class of all time, proceeded to sign absolutely nobody. He then said that the Yankees like their SS prospects so that is why he didn’t spend big on a shortstop. Cashman went on to make the worst trade he’s ever made by sending Gary Sanchez and Gio Urshela to the Twins for Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Ben Rortvedt. That was his one big move of the offseason. Making the team worse than the previous year. He needs to be relived of his duties and we need to get fresh young blood in the front office.
Aaron Boone has a managerial job for the Yankees solely because he hit a walk-off home run in game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox. If he doesn’t hit that home run, no one even remembers Aaron Boone. But because of that one hit, us Yankee fans must deal with him trying to manage this team. Every playoff series it’s clear that the Yankees are out managed. Aaron Boone is an inferior manager to almost everyone in baseball. It seems like Boone and Cashman had a deal before the season to prove that the Donaldson/IKF trade was the right move. Donaldson and IKF got more leeway than any Yankee ever has. IKF was horrific in the field this year, and Boone had the nerve to say he should have been up for a Gold Glove Award. Yankee fans watch all the games. You are tricking no one when you say he is “one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball.” If that was the case, he wouldn’t have been benched in the ALCS. Josh Donaldson also got a free pass for being one of the worst offensive players in baseball this season, and especially in the playoffs. Aaron Boone doesn’t make tough decisions, and he doesn’t make the best decision foe the team. He will always give some lame excuses after games like “if the roof was closed, we would have won” instead of just admitting that the team is playing poorly, and changes need to be made. Boone should have been out a long time ago, this offseason it’s a must.
Hire Jeter & Mattingly:
If you are going to fire Cashman & Boone, you need to find replacements. What better replacements than two all time Yankee legends. Derek Jeter for GM and Don Mattingly for manager. This would rejuvenate every Yankee fan out there. It would give this organization the breath of fresh air it’s been looking for. Derek Jeter will make any move he can to help the Yankees win. He has the same mindset he did as a player which is win at all costs. Pair him with the manager he had in Miami that he loved, and you have a recipe for success for years to come. The thought of this happening while so unlikely, gets me so excited and giddy. Imagine Opening Day next year when those two guys get introduced? The stadium would crumble from the excitement and noise.
Re-Sign Judge & make him Captain:
The most obvious move and a move that needs to get done. If the Yankees lose Aaron Judge, fans will boycott. Fans will leave. The feel around the club would completely change. Rumor is the San Francisco Giants “won’t be outbid” for Judge. The Yankees must match or at least come to whatever the Giants offer him. He is the cornerstone of this franchise. He wants to be a Yankee; he just wants to be fairly compensated also. If the number is right, Judge will come back. Obviously with how cheap this organization has been, that’s a big if. Now, if he does sign back, they need to make him the next captain. He is essentially already the captain in all his teammate’s eyes, but he needs to be announced as the official captain. Judge is on pace to have his number retired by the Yankees. They absolutely can not let this guy walk. Whatever it takes.
Move on from Chapman, Britton, Hicks, Donaldson:
I am lumping all these names into the “Dead Weight” category. All these players once could contribute to a contending team, no longer can. I don’t care if it’s by trade or just by simply releasing them. They all need to be off this team. I am truly afraid Donaldson will be back next year for some reason. Cashman and Boone love him, and no way Cashman is going to eat $25 million.
You want to know something funny about Donaldson? A few years ago, when Bryce Harper was a free agent, he wanted to be a Yankee, but the Yankees refused to even talk to him. They said he was “too pricey.” Harper went on to get $27 million from the Philiies while still in his prime. Cashman didn’t think $25 million was too much to pay a 36-year-old washed up Josh Donaldson. The difference in contract between last years NL MVP and a .220 hitting Josh Donaldson is $2 million. Cashman should be fired for this alone.
Trade Gleyber Torres:
The rise and fall of Gleyber Torres was so fast and so disappointing. The phenom prospect that they got for Aroldis Chapman was supposed to be a cornerstone for this team for years to come. He had a few good years with the Yankees and even carried them a bit in the 2019 playoffs. Ever since then, he has not been the same player. He couldn’t make it as a shortstop, and once he moved back to 2nd base, he couldn’t hit. He is the streakiest hitter, and he gets in trouble when he gets pull happy. He is at his best when he looks to shoot the ball to right field. I think the worst thing that happened to him was that he hit 38 homeruns. He is not a power hitter and because of that season, his leg kick got bigger, and his swing got longer. It’s time to move on from Gleyber and the good thing is that they can still get a decent return because of his age and potential. I don’t know what they can move him for, but they should try, especially with the rise of Peraza, Cabrera & Volpe. See if you can get a back-end starter or good reliver for him.
Re-Sign Rizzo:
Rizzo had the most consistent at-bats for any Yankees player in the postseason. He plays a good first base, and his lefty bat is essential in Yankee stadium.
Re-Sign Benintendi or sign Brandon Nimmo:
Benintendi was the perfect trade acquisition for the Yankees, it’s just a shame he got injured at the worst possible time. His contact bat is exactly what the Yankees need going forward.
If they can’t re-sign Benintendi, another bat I would like is Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo is a prototypical leadoff hitter. He sees a lot of pitches, he is a good contact hitter, and he can occasionally hit a home run. He would be a perfect leadoff hitter in front of Judge and Rizzo next year. He would also move back to LF where he is better and more comfortable than CF.
Sign another Star?
Again, I’m only putting this in because this is what I want. It isn’t going to happen. This team will only sign lower-level players to small contracts or old veteran players. This free agent class is another chance for the Yankees to get a lot better. If they can dump some salary, they can potentially have the money to re-sign Judge and sign another big-name free agent. I believe the ones that fit the Yankees the best are Carlos Rodon, Trea Turner or Xander Bogaerts. Rodon would be the perfect number 2 behind Cole in that rotation. Trea Turner is one of the best players in baseball and could play 2nd base or SS, and Bogaerts would be able to play SS or even move to 3B.
Be the Yankees for once and sign another big star to make this team a legit contender.
There are also some smaller moves I would love to see. I would like them to test the Catcher market in the offseason and see if a trade is possible. Trevino was a cool story for the first half of the year, but he fizzled out at the end.
I would like them to keep IKF as a bench piece that could play 3B, SS, or 2B but not to be a starter. I think IKF is a good utility infielder role player. He can give guys days off when they need it.
The New York Yankees are still the most iconic franchise in all of sports. They have the best fans in the world, who will live and die for this team, but if changes aren’t made this off-season there are going to be a lot of questions come opening day.
Listen to the fans and give us a team we can’t wait to watch next year. Give us a team that can bring home number 28. We deserve it. It’s been too long since 2009, and we are getting restless.
Cam's Corner 