It was announced Tuesday that the Yankees had re-signed manager Aaron Boone to a three-year contract extension with a club option for a fourth year. This sent Twitter-verse into an uproar with the majority of Yankee fans not wanting Boone to return. However, most of the coaching staff is not returning following the firing of three coaches and 1st base coach Reggie Willits announcing he is taking a volunteer coaching position at the University of Oklahoma. The only major holdover is pitching coach Matt Blake.
The Yankees clearly have many coaching positions to fill but now with Boone officially remaining in pinstripes, it’s time to look at the personnel changes that will likely need to be made. General Manager Brian Cashman made it clear that shortstop will be a priority, signalling that Gleyber Torres will remain the team’s second baseman.
Many question marks linger. What happens with Gary Sanchez? Can Aaron Hicks still produce? What do they do with Luke Voit? Do they trade Joey Gallo?
Some answers could be coming shortly. Expect Gary Sanchez to be the team’s catcher next season. The Yankees brass still thinks very highly of him.
It sounds like Anthony Rizzo is on the top three of the priorities list for Cashman this offseason. Rizzo provided a different look in the lineup and was a significant upgrade defensively over Voit at first base. The only road block between the two sides could be the number of years they give Rizzo. He’ll be 32-years old this year and likely looking for a 5-year deal.
The roster could and should be completely overhauled. The question is, if the Yankees just sign a shortstop and perhaps a starting pitcher, how much has the roster really changed? If they’re serious about changing personnel, they have to look at trade options for Gio Urshela, Aaron Hicks and Luke Voit.
The Yankees took chances on all three and they panned out for a brief period of time. The only problem they would run into is how valuable are these assets? Voit can mash when he’s healthy but he’s only been healthy in short spurts. Same goes for Aaron Hicks who practically missed all of last season. For Urshela, he is a great defensive infielder that has proven he can play third base and shortstop. He regressed offensively but teams could look at it as “one bad year.”
Those are the three names worth exploring on the trade market while looking for active replacements at their positions while also looking for more pitching help.
PHOTO: BILL KOSTROUN/AP
