MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: After the conclusion of the annual GM meetings this week, the Yankees’ offseason priorities are beginning to come into focus. Brian Cashman acknowledged in an interview that rebuilding his bullpen tops the list. “Two of the three pitchers going into our eighth and ninth inning are gone; (Paul) Blackburn and (David) Bednar right now are free agents, so we’ve got our work to do,” the Yankees GM said. “And because of that, I am casting a wide net.”
Options include reunions with
free agents Bednar, Blackburn, Tim Hill, and Jonathan Loáisiga as well as Adrian Morejon, who was linked to the Yankees while with the Padres this past season. Other potential areas for improvement include third base, second base, and catcher.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: ($) Speaking of third base, the Yankees were linked to Alec Bohm on Thursday by Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon. Kirschner is skeptical that the former Phillie can be the solution, noting he was below average at the dish last year and has been the worst defender at the hot corner in all of baseball since debuting in 2020. While Bohm’s right-handed bat could provide some platoon advantages, Kirschner suggests the money required to sign him would be better allocated elsewhere — like making a play for Japanese phenom Teruaki Sato, Texas’ Corey Seager, or Houston’s Isaac Paredes.
FanGraphs | Matthew Roberson: After another disappointing October, an overarching look at where the Yankees go from here. Roberson recaps some of the problems at hand — an aging roster, thin farm system, and depleted coaching staff — before pinpointing what he believes to be the core issue. Since signing DJ LeMahieu before the 2019 season, the most impactful external free agent position player Cashman has brought in is Paul Goldschmidt, the aging future Hall of Famer who’s been a helpful part-time player but is no longer the type of impact bat the Yankees may need to get over the top. If Cashman eschews a major addition to the lineup this offseason, Roberson predicts one more year of World Series drought.
