Yankees news: Shopping Marcus Stroman, batting title-winning backup plan, CC's Cooperstown case

A post-Juan Soto flurry has given way to a holding pattern around the New York Yankees. Brian Cashman has been plenty busy this winter, between signing Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt and swinging trades for Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger. But there's work still to do for New York to truly consider itself a World Series contender: another infielder to replace Gleyber Torres, for starters, at least one more bullpen arm.

Cashman has been far more patient approaching those needs than he was earlier this offseason, but there's still time and talent available for the Yankees to work with. Here's the latest on where things stand with over a month left until Spring Training.

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Yankees news: Marcus Stroman trade talks heat up

The addition of Fried created a bit of a logjam in New York's starting rotation, with six names — Fried, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman — for five spots. Stroman is the obvious outlier in that equation, considering both his struggles in 2024 and the $18 million he's owed for the coming season. So it's no surprise that Brian Cashman is looking to send Stroman elsewhere, with USA Today's Bob Nightengale reporting that the Yankees are "actively trying to deal" the veteran righty.

That New York is interested in moving on from Stroman is hardly a surprise; earlier this winter it was reported that the St. Louis Cardinals had shot down a proposal involving Stroman and Nolan Arenado. But it seems like Cashman's urgency has increased of late, as the team really doesn't want to get stuck with his money still on the books — especially considering he has a player option for 2026 as well. Finding a partner might be tricky given that contract, and New York can't be expecting a ton in return, but who knows given how hot the pitching market has run this winter.

Yankees news: Focus shifts to Luis Arraez after missing out on Gavin Lux

From the moment the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Hyeseong Kim last week, it seemed like Gavin Lux's time was up in L.A., with the Yankees a natural landing spot in a potential trade. Jazz Chisholm Jr. can play either third or second base for New York, but the team still needs to fill whichever position Chisholm isn't at in 2025, lest it slog through the DJ LeMahieu experience for another season.

But now Lux too is off the board, sent to the Cincinnati Reds in a trade on Monday evening. Which begs the question: Now what? One potential answer is three-time batting champion Luis Arraez, who the San Diego Padres are open to moving as they look to shed salary this offseason. ESPN's Jeff Passan reports that the Yankees "have continued to discuss" Arraez, who's entering his final year of team control and would fill the leadoff hole in New York's lineup as well as anyone out there.

Of course, he also comes with the same sort of defense and athleticism concerns that Torres did, but at this point, beggars can't be choosers. If New York can't land Arraez, they'd suddenly be staring down the barrel of a LeMahieu/Oswald Peraza/Oswaldo Cabrera platoon, which feels untenable.

Yankees news: Making the Hall of Fame case for CC Sabathia

In The Athletic, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal takes a deep dive into his Hall of Fame ballot, with particular focus on why former Yankees ace CC Sabathia has earned his vote this year. Sabathia's overall numbers, while certainly impressive, don't do a ton to elevate him over other good-not-great candidates like fellow Bronx legend Andy Pettitte. But the big lefty's peak sets him apart: "Between 2007 and ‘11," Rosenthal writes, "he won an AL Cy Young award, finished third once, fourth twice and fifth once," not to mention his iconic run with the Milwaukee Brewers after the 2008 trade deadline.

Sabathia parlayed that into a massive contract with the Yankees that winter, which he more than lived up to while helping New York capture the 2009 World Series. His willingness to reinvent himself late in his career and continue to be a servicable back-end option for the Yankees drags down his overall profile, but at his best, he was among the very best pitchers in the entire sport for several years, and it looks like that could earn him a spot in Cooperstown.