The New York Yankees brought back Aaron Judge, which they had to do. Brian Cashman’s job is not done, however. What should their next decision be?
The Yankees Winter Meetings are officially off and running, and the end result cannot simply be that they signed Aaron Judge.
Much of the reason Judge stayed in The Bronx was because New York convinced him that even after spending $360 million over nine years of his services, they had more money to give out. The Yankees roster is significantly behind the likes of the Houston Astros.
While New York missed out on a few stars as they awaited Judge’s decision, and thus fully understood their financial outlook, there are still many key contributors available on the free-agent market.
So, where should the Yanks turn from here?
Yankees rumors: Sign Carlos Rodon
The Yankees and Carlos Rodon reportedly have mutual interest, per Andy Martino of SNY. With Aaron Judge’s contract now behind them, New York can focus on their rotation, as they lost the likes of Jameson Taillon to the Chicago Cubs late on Tuesday night.
“I’m hearing there’s mutual interest. That’s something that feels like it could be a fit. … Rodon has a very robust market. … The pitching market is way higher than anyone would’ve thought it was going to be. The Rodon market could get to a point where the Yankees are like, ‘we like him but this is crazy.’ But they are pursuing the the player. They have been talking and this is definitely something people could see happening. …. A potential fit,” Martino reported.
Rodon is the best pitcher left on the free-agent market. It explains why he has so many suitors, including the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers. The Giants interest is obvious, as he was among the leaders of their pitching staff last season, and now San Francisco has more money to play with. The Rangers, meanwhile, want another top-tier pitcher to pair with Jacob deGrom.
Yankees must acquire another outfielder
Aaron Judge does play the outfield, yes, but he is not their only hole at the position.
New York is expected to have some interest in bringing back Andrew Benintendi, as they like his contact rate and he could come relatively cheap in comparison to the other All-Stars on the free agent market.
Benintendi has several potential suitors outside of The Bronx, including the Mets and Astros. Brian Cashman must act quickly to secure his services.
Aaron Hicks is quite clearly not a viable option in left field. While Harrison Bader can play pretty much anywhere, the Yankees would rather him man center and give Judge some much-needed time off from a very demanding position. Adding a player like Benintendi raises the floor of this Yankees outfield group, and gives them more flexibility to rest a player like Judge, who will have to carry the load at times in a long, grueling 162-game season.
Yankees rumors: Sign Matsataka Yoshida or Kodai Senga
Signing one of the two NPB stars — Matsataka Yoshida or Kodai Senga — would be in the best interest of the Yankees.
Though unproven, that could very well play to Brian Cashman’s advantage, as he could acquire a top-tier starting pitcher in Senga for less than, say, Carlos Rodon is necessary.
Yoshida is an alternative to Andrew Benintendi, who also made this list. Yoshida is one of the best defenders at his natural left-field spot, and won a Gold Medal with Japan in the 2020 Olympics. A transfer agreement between NPB and MLB makes any such move for Senga or Yoshida complicated, but far from impossible for a team with the financial resources of the Yankees.
Per J.P. Morosi, “The Japanese club receives a release fee equivalent to 20 percent of the initial $25 million in guaranteed value, 17.5 percent of the subsequent $25 million, and 15 percent of any value beyond $50 million.”
The Yankees need outfield help beyond just Aaron Judge, Harrison Bader and Giancarlo Stanton. Aaron Hicks, who is signed long-term but hasn’t been the same in quite some time, just won’t cut it.
Independent of the Judge signing, New York was always going to increase their outfield depth one way or another.