Yankees news: Vlad Guerrero Jr. interest, new infield target, Marcus Stroman dilemma

There's plenty of buzz around the Hot Stove right now, from just where Roki Sasaki will eventually sign to Pete Alonso's future with the New York Mets and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s future with the Toronto Blue Jays. But very little of that buzz is focused on the New York Yankees, who remain in something of a holding pattern as Brian Cashman waits out the market to fill the team's final few needs.

How will Cashman address the team's infield situation? What other moves could be coming ahead of Spring Training? Let's dive in.

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Yankees news: New York among potential suitors for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. if Blue Jays talks break down

It's time for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto Blue Jays to get down to brass tacks, with the start of Spring Training — Vladdy's self-imposed deadline by which extension talks will end — less than a month away and deep-pocketed teams like the New York Mets finding themselves conspicuously in need of a long-term answer at first base.

But the Mets aren't the only ones circling these particular waters. According to an update from Jon Heyman of the New York Post, "If Guerrero does get to free agency, the Mets and some Soto also-rans — including the Red Sox and Yankees — are logical pursuers." Heyman adds that, while Guerrero Jr. had some less-than-kind things to say about the Yankees a couple of years ago, that's all water under the bridge now, whether due to a change of heart or a desire to preserve as much leverage in future contract negotiations as possible.

The fact that New York would be interested in Vladdy if he becomes available is hardly a shock; Paul Goldschmidt is clearly a stop-gap at the position, one that the Yankees have been looking for answers at more or less since Greg Bird failed to pan out. But Guerrero Jr. figures to be very much sought after next winter if the Jays do let him leave, and Hal Steinbrenner has already lost one free-agent negotiation to Steve Cohen.

Yankees news: Pirates' KeBryan Hayes emerges as intriguing infield fit

Elsewhere in the infield, the search for a Gleyber Torres replacement trudges on, with Brian Cashman seemingly content to let the market play out and head into Spring Training with DJ LeMahieu and Oswaldo Cabrera if he has to. Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado don't appear to be on the table, while names like Ha-Seong Kim, Luis Arraez and Jorge Polanco have come and gone in recent weeks.

There's now another name to add to that list, however, one that could present an intriguing fit: Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman KeBryan Hayes, who Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay recently suggested may be available via trade.

Hayes hasn't quite lived up to the eight-year, $70 million deal he signed ahead of the 2022 season, and we know that Pirates owner Bob Nutting is always willing to consider it when someone offers to take some money off his hands. Add to it the fact that Hayes (and his father, former Yankees infielder Charlie) hasn't been wild about some of the coaching decisions Pittsburgh has made in recent years, and maybe there's some fire behind all this smoke.

If so, Cashman needs to at least consider it, especially if Hayes can be had for relatively cheap. He struggled mightily at the plate in 2024, slashing just .233/.283/.290 in 96 games, but he's shown flashes in the past, and he remains a solid baserunner and one of the better defensive third basemen in the sport. An $8.5 million average annual salary isn't too onerous, and he'd offer an upgrade in some significant areas.

Yankees news: Jordan Montgomery could be an obstacle to Marcus Stroman trade

The other main item left on Cashman's offseason to-do list is finding a trade partner for Marcus Stroman, set to make $18 million this year despite not having a spot in the team's starting rotation. But the rest of the league has been wary of taking on the veteran righty's contract, which has a vesting option for 2026 if he pitches at least 140 innings this season.

That's a hefty commitment for a team to take on, especially considering how many other veteran starters remain available either on via free agency or trade. One of those starters just happens to be one of Cashman's biggest blunders: Jordan Montgomery who the Yankees sent packing at the 2022 trade deadline ... only to watch him deliver strong seasons in both '22 and 2023.

This past season wasn't so great for the lefty, who struggled so mightily with the Arizona Diamondbacks that the team has been exceedingly open about wanting to get rid of him. Which presents a problem for the Yankees: If a team wants to acquire a distressed pitching asset for relatively little cost, why wouldn't it prefer Montgomery, who's younger than Stroman with a better recent track record? Unless New York is willing to attach a valuable prospect or pay down a hefty portion of Stroman's deal, this could take a while.