2. Gary Sanchez
For many Yankee fans, Sanchez is the embodiment of what is wrong with the team’s current roster construction. His feast or famine-hitting style is downright maddening. His inability to play quality defense behind the plate is even more frustrating.
If Cashman is truly done with Sanchez, he can simply non-tender him ahead of next season. That seems unlikely given the lack of catchers available via free agency. The team does not want to hand the starting job over to Kyle Higashioka.
Instead, look for Sanchez to get one more opportunity to cement his starting spot in the Bronx. Despite hitting just .204 last season he did manage to contribute 23 home runs. That was enough to make him slightly better than the replacement level at his position.
The fact that Sanchez will likely earn a raise over last year’s $7.5 million salary in arbitration will send Yankees fans into a frenzy. He’ll head into next season under intense pressure to shape up or ship out.