It's a pivotal offseason in the Bronx. Here are three things on the Yankees' wish list that the team will look to accomplish, including determining the fates of Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone.
A team that enters the 2023 offseason with significant questions is the New York Yankees, and there are no easy answers.
What will the team do with general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone? How will Carlos Rodon bounce back after an injury plagued first season in the Bronx? How will the front office build a competitive roster with an inflated payroll and the Giancarlo Stanton mega contract limiting their flexibility?
For whoever is running the show, it will be a critical offseason for the Yankees. Here are three things on their offseason wish list – headlined by their decisions on Cashman and Boone's respective fates.
MLB Rumors: Yankees retain Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone
This is not what I think the Yankees should do. Rather, this is what I think the Yankees will do.
Yankees ownership values stability, and it's why he's been the team's general manager since 1998. In that span, he has compiled a Hall of Fame resume, and established himself as one of the best executives in baseball. I think he enters the 2024 season on a hotter seat and if the team's struggles continue, then the team seriously considers a change at the helm. I just don't think they're at that point.
The same can be said for Boone, with superstar Aaron Judge making it clear that he wants Boone to return as manager in 2024. Judge's voice carries significant weight in the Yankeees organization and all signs point to team ownership having a similar opinion. I believe Boone returns in 2024.
Likelihood: 7.5/10
MLB Rumors: Yankees consider contract extensions for young players, including Jasson Dominguez
Admittedly, this was not something that I had considered until my The Baseball Insiders podcast co-host Adam Weinrib put it on my radar. But I think the logic of the Yankees considering early extensions for young players such as Jasson Dominguez and Anthony Volpe makes sense.
Dominguez, 20, is one of the most talented young players in baseball. In six games since being promoted to the majors, he's hitting .292/.320/.708 with a 1.028 OPS, three home runs and five RBI. Exploring a potential extension would make sense for the team – it could buy out one or two free agent seasons – and also allow him to hit free agency when he's 28 or 29, keeping him in position for a monster pay day.
The same can be said for Volpe, who is 22, and the future at shortstop for the Yankees.
What's the likelihood that a deal can be reached with either player? Probably highly unlikely. But it's worth noting that Dominguez is represented by the same agency as Corbin Carroll, who did a similar type deal when he signed an eight-year, $111 million contract extension with the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this season.
Likelihood: 2.5/10.
MLB Rumors: Yankees let all pending free agents leave
The Yankees have six pending free agents: Luis Severino, Frankie Montas, Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, Wandy Peralta, Keynan Middleton and David Freitas.
They should let all of them depart in free agency and invest in new players, especially on the pitching side. Since Severino threw a perfect game, he has struggled mightily to the tune of a 6.75 ERA in 85.1 innings pitched (18 games). The Montas trade is one of the worst in recent baseball history, as the right-hander has not pitched in 2023 and pitched in only eight games with the Yankees last season (6.35 ERA) while dealing with a shoulder injury.
They'll also need to upgrade the outfield, with Harrison Bader – previously thought as an extension candidate – now with the Cincinnati Reds after being placed on waivers in August. It would hardly be a surprise to see the team rekindle trade conversations with the St. Louis Cardinals surrounding young outfielder Dylan Carlson.
But the first order of business is letting all the pending free agents leave, and that appears to be the most likely scenario. It's time to start fresh.
Likelihood: 8/10.