Fansided

5 bold predictions for the Yankees 2021 offseason

By Rucker Haringey

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 6: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees during the AL Wild Card playoff game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on October 6, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 6: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees during the AL Wild Card playoff game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on October 6, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) /
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Yankees rumors, Corey Kluber
TORONTO, ON – SEPTEMBER 30: Corey Kluber #28 of the New York Yankees walks to the dugout at the end of the fourth inning of their MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 30, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) /

4. The team will let Rizzo and Kluber walk

Kluber’s scintillating no-hitter might have been the best single moment of the Yankees’ 2021 season, but that doesn’t mean Cashman is going to re-sign him in free agency. The fact that the veteran righty only made 16 starts due to a shoulder injury makes him a guy the Yankees will pass on bringing back.

Rizzo didn’t light the world on fire after coming over from the Cubs in a mid-season trade, but he does have some traits that New York desperately wants to add to their lineup. He’s a left-handed bat who can put up big numbers in Yankee Stadium. More importantly, he’s just the sort of contact-oriented hitter the team needs to balance out their swing-and-miss batting order.

That doesn’t mean Rizzo is coming back to the Bronx. He already turned down a five-year, $75 million extension offer from Chicago which means he’s looking for a massive deal. New York isn’t going to hand that out to a player who might not be a significant upgrade over their other options at first base.

The presence of DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit on the team’s roster simply doesn’t leave room for Rizzo. The idea of trading Voit might appeal to fantasy GMs, but the offers just won’t be there for the one-dimensional slugger this offseason. That’s why Rizzo will be the one to go.

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