Yankees news: Yoan Moncada isn't healthy enough, Carlos Carrasco signs as pitching insurance

Brian Cashman and his front office have completed most of the heavy lifting to rebuild the New York Yankees roster this offseason. Losing Juan Soto was a bitter pill for the franchise to swallow, but New York has done a credible job of recovering with a series of free agency signings and trades.

There's still work left for the Yankees to do if they're going to emerge as serious World Series contenders. Manager Aaron Boone needs one more player to round out his infield. That's likely going to be a third baseman with Jazz Chisholm moving over to his more comfortable spot at second base.

Cashman also understands that an organization can never have enough pitching depth. The Yankees made a massive investment in Max Fried this year but they also want to stockpile options behind their starting five in case of injury.

Yankees fans who want to keep up with their favorite team during the doldrums of February should keep a close eye on these stories this week.

Yankees news No. 1: Yoan Moncada isn't healthy enough to help

The aforementioned vacancy at third base is likely the biggest item still remaining on Cashman's shopping list. The challenge he faces is that most of the quality options have already committed themselves to other teams. Alex Bregman is still out there but he appears to be outside the team's self-imposed price range.

That's why Athlon Sports' report that the team recently kicked the tires on former White Sox star Yoan Moncada makes a lot of sense. If healthy, his left-handed bat would play perfectly with the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.

The problem with Moncada is that he just doesn't play enough healthy baseball. Injuries limited him to just 12 games a season ago. New York reportedly requested medical information from Chicago this offseason but were turned off by what they saw.

As such, Moncada does not appear to be an option for the team. It's difficult to predict where the Yankees will turn from at this juncture of the offseason. DJ LeMahieu could be an option. Oswaldo Cabrera could also receive an opportunity to seize the hot corner for himself. Neither option is overly encouraging for fans who understand the offensive void left by Soto's decision to head to Queens.

Yankees news No. 2: Carlos Carrasco can provide organizational depth

The odds are stacked against Carlos Carrasco breaking Spring Training as a member of the Yankees' five-man rotation. It's still a savvy signing by Cashman and the front office. He can give the organization valuable depth at the age of 38.

Cashman will compete for a major league roster spot in Spring Training but only has the opportunity to make up to $2.5 million with base pay and incentives if he does make the team. He struggled last season for the Indians with an ERA of 5.64 but there is some reason for optimism in his underlying numbers.

The Yankees were clearly attracted to Carrasco's chase rate of 31.3%. He does not possess overpowering stuff but his ability to generate swings and misses means he could enjoy another productive season or two at the major league level.

The best case scenario for the Yankees is that Carrasco never graces the mound at Yankee Stadium next season in a meaningful game. He's still a nice security blanket in case injuries plague the team's starting rotation.

Yankees news No. 3: Spencer Jones' stock is on the decline

Spencer Jones was a hot name 12 months ago as arguably the Yankees' top prospect not named Jasson Dominguez. No one in New York is ready to give up on the 6-foot-7 outfielder but his efforts in the minors last season did not raise his stock one bit.

The Athletic's Keith Law still has the former Vanderbilt star as the organization's No. 4 prospect on his most recent rankings list. He, like most scouts, has serious concerns about Jones' strikeout rate in the minors. Striking out 200 times in a single minor league campaign is never a good sign for a prospect.

The upside to Jones as a prospect is that he still shows outstanding power when he does manage to put his bat on the ball. Law still believes he has the potential to hit 40 home runs if things break right for him at the major league level.

Jones also possesses the speed required to be an above-average outfielder in either corner. That adds value to him as a prospect that some evaluators tend to overlook. Throw in a nice arm that can throw out runners at multiple bases and it's easy to see how he can profile as a plus defender.

The Yankees want to see Jones bounce back and achieve more contact this year. If he does, he could find his way atop the organization's prospect list again by the time the All-Star break arrives.