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TAMPA — After a lockout that lasted 99 days, we’ll get a first look at the Yankees on Sunday, when players are due to report to spring training. Aaron Boone is scheduled to address the media, and though there will be plenty to ask the manager who signed a new deal this offseason, there’s plenty he won’t be able to answer. Prior to the work stoppage, the Yankees mostly sat out the offseason, with lefty reliever Joely Rodriguez the only major league free agent addition.
Perhaps no team enters the second part of the offseason with more significant holes than the Yankees, who must address first base and shortstop, as well as center field and perhaps catcher and third base. They do have depth in the rotation and bullpen, but additions to both wouldn’t be surprising.
The biggest question of all, however, can’t be answered by Boone or general manager Brian Cashman because only managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner knows how he’ll handle the new competitive balance tax thresholds in the collective bargaining agreement that was agreed to on Thursday. According to Spotrac.com, the Yankees’ competitive balance payroll is around $222 million, giving them about $8 million to spend and stay under the first threshold of $230 million, with the next threshold starting at $250 million.
First things first
The onslaught of moves expected after the transaction freeze was lifted following the lockout hadn’t begun as of Saturday afternoon, with Freddy Freeman and Anthony Rizzo still unsigned and Matt Olson yet to be traded. Luke Voit remains on the roster and spent much of the lockout working out in Tampa. He’s arbitration eligible and is due to get around $5.4 million. Whether that comes from the Yankees is undecided. The Yankees have talked to Oakland about Olson, but — not surprisingly — the cost would be steep. The Dodgers are also in on Freeman, but the Yankees’ interest in the 32-year-old is said to be legitimate, if he doesn’t go back to Atlanta.
Shortstop options dwindle
We know who’s not playing shortstop for the Yankees this season. The Gleyber Torres experiment is over and one potential replacement, Andrelton Simmons, is off the table now that he’s signed with the Cubs, as is Isiah Kiner-Falafa, who was traded from Texas to Minnesota on Saturday, in exchange for another potential Yankee target, Mitch Garver.
Carlos Correa remains available and the Yankees have done some due diligence, but there were no signs they were prepared to cough up the $300 million-plus to land the 27-year-old, especially with Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza potentially waiting in the wings. If Trevor Story could be had on a short-term deal, the Yankees could overlook his recent arm woes and make a run at him, but there are questions about how well his bat might play outside of Coors Field.
Jose Iglesias is another stopgap option, but Iglesias’ defense has fallen off in recent years, and though his bat has shown more signs of life over parts of the past two seasons, it may not be a good bet that it will continue for the 32-year-old.
Judge’s new contract
Aaron Judge is entering his final year of arbitration and is likely to get about $17 million. The right fielder has said he wants to be a “Yankee for life” and would talk to the team about a contract extension that would keep him from hitting free agency. Do the Yankees want to make that investment in Judge, who has become the face of the franchise? He’s dealt with injury issues, but mostly stayed healthy last season. If they do decide to give Judge a new deal, which could be in the five-year, $189 million range, according to The Post’s Joel Sherman, that would take away from some of their potential spending for other free agents this offseason.
Source: NYPOST
