MLB Rumors: Which Yankees should Brian Cashman re-sign?
The Yankees have some big decisions to make in free agency. Here’s what they should do with each of their own free agents.
Brian Cashman and his front office do not have the luxury to sit around and lick their wounds after bowing out of the playoffs at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays. Instead, the organization must immediately turn its attention to free agency. That requires Cashman and his staff to make big calls on five free agents who have the chance to leave the Yankees this offseason.
The Yankees have more than five free agents in actuality, but several guys clearly won’t be back with the team unless it’s on a minor league deal. Erik Kratz was a fun story, but the team won’t spend any meaningful resources to bring him back for his age-42 season. Jordy Mercer’s future in pinstripes isn’t a pressing issue for the team.
It’s also a safe assumption that both Giancarlo Stanton and Zack Britton will return despite the presence of contract options they could exercise to become free agents. A shocking departure by either star could have serious ramifications on New York’s offseason, but for the purposes of this piece, the presumption is that both will return.
That leaves Cashman to deal with big decisions to make on five key players from his 2020 squad. What should the organization do with D.J. LeMahieu, Brett Gardner, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, and J.A. Happ?
J.A. Happ is as good as gone
Happ sealed is own fate as soon as he started making public comments about the team trying to manipulate his appearances/innings to prevent him from achieving a vesting option in his contract. Cashman is not an executive who likes to air his personnel issues in the media. That’s why he’s going to let Happ walk without a second thought this offseason.
J.A. Happ said he thinks it's "fairly clear" why he hasn't had a regular starting schedule. Says reporters are smart, alludes that hey can figure it out. Was asked if he thinks his looming vesting option is what has the Yankees creating this schedule for him.
— Brendan Kuty 🧟♂️ (@BrendanKutyNJ) August 25, 2020
That could be deemed as a slight risk given how effective Happ was on the mound in 2020. His WAR of 1.2 in nine starts profiles him as a No. 3 starter at worst. His declining stuff does raise serious questions over whether or not he can maintain that level of effectiveness moving forward.
The good news for Happ is that he’s going to attract strong interest on the open market. His time in the Bronx is absolutely over.