New Year’s Resolutions for the Yankees

Let’s look at our New Years’ resolutions for the New York Yankees in 2021.

Make a Smart Choice With DJ Lemahieu

LeMahieu’s asking price is currently $125 million for five years. That price is too big of a deal for the Yankees, especially considering that they are likely trying to stay under the luxury tax threshold of $210 million. A deal too big for LeMahieu would most likely limit the ability to make other much-needed additions.

I do not think LeMahieu will get his asking price on the market and I still see him being back with the Yankees, but there could be a team that makes a monster offer. Getting this done before George Springer signs could help. The New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays are both interested in Springer and LeMahieu. The team that loses out on Springer could potentially make that monster offer to LeMahieu as a backup plan.

Acquire Significant Starting Pitching

Contenders for the starting rotation currently are Gerrit Cole, Deivi Garcia, Clarke Schmidt, Jordan Montgomery, Domingo German, and Michael King. The depth behind Cole has potential but not a lot of experience. The Yankees should be getting Luis Severino back at some point, who at his best is one of the top pitchers in baseball. You can not bank on Severino though.

Whether it is bringing back Masahiro Tanaka, bringing in someone like Corey Kluber, or swinging a trade for Luis Castillo who is rumored to be on the block, a move is needed. One quality addition slotting into a rotation of Cole, Severino, and Montgomery during the postseason would be huge for the Yankees.

It would help in avoiding a situation like what happened in game 2 of the ALDS against the Rays.

Luis Castillo as well as Sonny Gray is being discussed in trades. Asks are appropriately high for young frontline starters. The #Reds went for it last winter (and were rewarded with a playoff spot) but the belt tightening this winter is clear.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 20, 2020

Do Not Stand Pat at the Trade Deadline for the Third Year in a Row

This roster is ready to win now and the ability to make moves is not going to get any easier in the future with the core of this team becoming more expensive as players enter their arbitration years. Championship windows always close sooner than expected.

Many thought the Cubs would be a dynasty after winning in 2016. Now they are headed into a rebuild. Now is the time to push for a championship before the window closes.

Stay Somewhat Healthier than the Last Two Seasons

The Yankees have been ravaged by injuries in each of the last two seasons. They can not afford to have the same amount of injuries as they had. 2019 they played well despite them, but that is very unlikely to happen again. 2020 showed how hard that is to do. It is unrealistic to expect the team to be completely healthy.

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are players that likely will have trips to the IL given their track record, but if that could be limited to less time than they spent off the field in 2019 and 2020 it would be huge for the Yankees.

Have the Best Record in the American League

This team should expect to win the AL East. The goal should be a home-field advantage, although looking at everyone else in the American League. The Rays lost Blake Snell and Charlie Morton from their rotation. The Astros’ whole starting outfield from last season are all free agents. Those two teams were in the ALCS last year and are likely still viewed as the Yankees’ main competition in the AL.

They are both getting worse. The Yankees are the best team in the AL on paper and should be the favorites to make the World Series again this year. It is time for them to live up to that.

Win the World Series

This is the expectation every year. This team has come close. They have been one of the best teams in baseball since 2017 and have made it close to the World Series multiple times. The core players are not old, but they are not the young kids they were in 2017 anymore.

The Yankees have been through heartbreak in October many times. They have the talent, they expect to win, but it just has not come together for one playoff run. They will have to do it soon or we may look back on this era of Yankees baseball as a bunch of near misses.

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