4 Yankees offseason mistakes so far, and how to fix them
By Tim Boyle
These four New York Yankees offseason mistakes can still be corrected.
The New York Yankees needed to do a couple of things this offseason. They re-signed Aaron Judge. They brought back Anthony Rizzo. Baseball’s winningest team even went out and inked Carlos Rodon.
Compared to last offseason, this one seems to be a lot better for New York. Fans should feel good right now about where they are. This doesn’t take away from the fact that they have made a few mistakes along the way.
No club has had an immaculate offseason. Four Yankees mistakes stand out most. How can they fix them now or in the future?
1) Yankees offseason mistake: Failure to improve the left field situation
Who will be in left field for the Yankees on Opening Day? Their two likeliest candidates are veteran Aaron Hicks and sophomore Oswaldo Cabrera. Nearly every fan would prefer the latter. Hicks isn’t suddenly going to be his old self again. The new kid has more potential to deliver.
Neither option is particularly romantic. It feels like a hole in the lineup that has been present for far too long. Giancarlo Stanton’s inability or at least lack of trust to play the outfield through much of his Yankees career has given them a challenge. No one is asking for a star out there. Fans are simply sick of the revolving door.
The Yankees have plenty of left field solutions. From a blockbuster trade for Bryan Reynolds to a lighter one with the Minnesota Twins to acquire Max Kepler, they have room for improvement. Free agency will give them a mixed bag of guys who might not be much better than the Hicks and Cabrera plan so it appears to be trade or bust for them.
It already feels like the Yankees will, once again, need to look to upgrade midseason. Who is this year’s Andrew Benintendi on an expiring contract playing for a non-playoff team?