3 players the Yankees were too cheap to sign

2. Corey Seager

Another position of need for the Yankees has been shortstop, evidenced by the persisting rumors that Carlos Correa could be wearing pinstripes next season.

But Correa has yet to sign with New York, and with CBA talks cooling and a contentious lockout on the horizon, it seems like the Yankees won’t be signing a shortstop anytime soon — and they just missed out on one of the best ones available on the market.

On the last day before the MLB lockout is expected to take place, the Texas Rangers signed former Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager to a ten-year, $325 million contract.

It could be said that the Rangers’ decision to commit $556 million to three players in a span of hours is the kind of aggressive approach the Yankees should have taken this offseason.

Seager’s deal came one day after the Rangers signed second baseman Marcus Semien to a seven-year, $175 million contract and starting pitcher Jon Gray to a four-year, $56 million contract.

One thing that the Yankees have against most other MLB teams is their franchise reputation, which they could have played up in courting Seager. Seager grew up a New York Yankees fan and idolized Derek Jeter, so it’s difficult to imagine that Seager would have dismissed a competing offer from New York.