Getty Photographs (3); Corey Sipkin; AP
When the excessive of the Yankees re-signing Aaron Decide final week started to put on off, the belief quickly adopted that the roster was nonetheless virtually precisely the identical because the one which acquired swept by the Astros within the ALCS.
Not anymore.
Carlos Rodon joined the fold on Thursday night time, agreeing to a six-year, $162 million contract with the Yankees that made an already robust rotation even higher.
Because the Yankees as soon as once more search to shut the hole with the Astros, signing Rodon — on high of bringing again Decide on a nine-year, $360 million contract — is the type of transfer that may get them even nearer so long as Rodon continues his upward trajectory of the final two years and stays wholesome.
The deal additionally proves Hal Steinbrenner is placing his cash the place his mouth is. The Yankees’ managing basic associate was booed on a number of events this season at Yankee Stadium, with the fan base upset at his perceived unwillingness to spend massive. However in lower than two weeks, Steinbrenner has now signed Decide and Rodon to offers which are value a mixed $522 million in whole worth. Surprise what the reception might be for him at his first look in The Bronx subsequent season?
Positive, it was the Yankees’ bats that have been largely accountable for his or her ALCS disappointment in October, and there's nonetheless extra work to be finished in addressing the lineup for 2023 — particularly filling the void in left subject. However including Rodon is a serious transfer, solidifying the highest of the Yankees’ rotation behind Gerrit Cole after a season through which Nestor Cortes additionally emerged as an All-Star and now may line up because the staff’s No. 3 or 4 starter.
“Carlos simply desires to win,” stated Jay Lehr, the lead pitching teacher at Professional X Athlete in Indianapolis, the place Rodon has educated the previous two offseasons whereas turning his profession round. “I believe that mentality can be big, particularly with Cole and the remainder of that workers to feed off of them.”
Sizing up the competitors
With Rodon, Decide, Anthony Rizzo and Tommy Kahnle in and Jameson Taillon out, the Yankees have now markedly improved from final season’s roster, even when they nonetheless have extra work to do. However how do they stack up towards the remainder of their competitors within the American League and inside their very own division? Right here’s an analysis of how the Yankees’ high AL rivals have fared to this point this offseason:
Houston Astros
• Added: 1B Jose Abreu
• Misplaced: SP Justin Verlander
• Re-signed: RP Rafael Montero
It speaks volumes concerning the Astros’ pitching depth and ceiling that they'll lose Verlander to the Mets and nonetheless really feel fairly darn good about their rotation — sure, the one which principally silenced the Yankees’ bats within the ALCS — which options Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Lance McCullers Jr., Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy. The Astros additionally bolstered their lineup by signing Abreu, who will play subsequent 12 months at age 36. Although he has misplaced some energy, he nonetheless offers a high-average bat and places the ball in play. The lineup had an opportunity to be much more formidable, however the Astros misplaced out to the Cardinals on signing catcher Willson Contreras.
WAR (per FanGraphs’ 2023 projections) added/misplaced: -2.6
Subsequent transfer: Signing a left fielder — maybe Andrew Benintendi or Michael Conforto?
Cleveland Guardians
• Added: 1B Josh Bell, C Mike Zunino
• Misplaced: C Luke Maile, INF Owen Miller
A troublesome out for the Yankees in October’s ALDS, the Guardians added to their up-and-coming roster by signing Bell to a two-year, $33 million deal. It solidifies a place of weak spot — they used rookie Gabriel Arias at first base for the ultimate three video games of the collection, and their mixed .697 OPS from first basemen in the course of the common season ranked twentieth within the majors. Zunino, one of many recreation’s greatest pitch framers, needs to be a robust addition behind the plate for his work with the Guardians’ pitching workers.
WAR: +3.1
Subsequent transfer: They might commerce from their wealth of infielders to seek out an improve in heart subject or add pitching depth.
Toronto Blue Jays
• Added: SP Chris Bassitt, RHP Erik Swanson, CF Kevin Kiermaier
• Misplaced: OF Teoscar Hernandez, SP/RP Ross Stripling
The Yankees could also be completely happy to see Hernandez go away the division after he hit 13 residence runs in 70 video games towards them as a Blue Jay — seemingly usually in massive spots. However the right-handed Swanson might be one other weapon out of the bullpen forward of nearer Jordan Romano. The addition of Bassitt provides them one other bulldog within the rotation whereas Kiermaier will roam heart, transferring George Springer to proper subject.
WAR: +0.3
Subsequent transfer: They've three catchers — Alejandro Kirk, Danny Jansen and Gabriel Moreno — so buying and selling one for a left-handed bat or pitching depth may make sense.
Tampa Bay Rays
• Added: SP Zach Eflin
• Misplaced: RP Brooks Raley, 1B Ji-Man Choi, C Mike Zunino, CF Kevin Kiermaier
It’s been a considerably typical Rays offseason, although they did splurge for Eflin, signing him to the most important free-agent contract in franchise historical past (three years, $40 million). They have been additionally reportedly in on Jacob deGrom, even when nobody actually anticipated them to finish up touchdown him. However it will shock nobody in the event that they make a commerce or under-the-radar signing earlier than spring coaching that winds up being a steal.
WAR: -3.1
Subsequent transfer: Including a left-handed bat — perhaps Michael Brantley or the last word Rays bounce-back candidate, Joey Gallo?
SeattleMariners
• Added: OF Teoscar Hernandez, 2B Kolten Wong, RP Trevor Gott
• Misplaced: RP Erik Swanson, OF Jesse Winker, INF Abraham Toro, 1B Carlos Santana, OF Mitch Haniger, SP/RP Matthew Boyd
The Mariners made one of many first massive splashes of the offseason after they traded for Hernandez, who value them solely Swanson and a pitching prospect. Then they crammed a necessity at second base by buying and selling for Wong, who ought to make their lineup even deeper.
WAR: -2.9
Subsequent transfer: Discovering one other bat, possible an outfielder who may additionally get DH at-bats if Jarred Kelenic proves he's prepared.
Baltimore Orioles
• Added: SP Kyle Gibson, INF/OF Adam Frazier
• Misplaced: N/A
After making strides final season with their rising younger core, the Orioles added an skilled arm to their rotation in Gibson, who signed for one 12 months and $10 million. If nothing else, he ought to present innings and a veteran presence. The versatile Frazier may be in for a bounce-back season.
WAR: +3.1
Subsequent transfer: Add one other beginning pitcher — in the event that they need to velocity up the rebuild.
Boston Purple Sox
• Added: OF Masataka Yoshida, RP Kenley Jansen, RP Chris Martin, RP Joely Rodriguez
• Misplaced: SS Xander Bogaerts, RP Matt Strahm
Shedding Bogaerts to the Padres is a severe blow, each on and off the sphere, happening as one other homegrown star the Purple Sox have been unable to maintain. They might slide Trevor Story over to shortstop, however that may create a gap at second base. The Purple Sox did make strides in overhauling their bullpen, however their deal for Yoshida (5 years, $90 million) was met with criticism for being an overpay.
WAR: -3.4 (not accounting for Yoshida, whose projected 2023 WAR is unavailable)
Subsequent transfer: They’ll want fairly a number of to get again to being severe contenders, however they may begin by making a play for Dansby Swanson.
What’s left to do?
Now that the Rodon pursuit is wrapped up, the Yankees nonetheless have some work to do, led by discovering a left fielder.
A reunion with Benintendi would take advantage of sense. The Yankees valued his left-handed, contact-oriented bat after they traded for him final summer time. However there's loads of competitors for him, and it’s unclear whether or not Benintendi would possibly favor taking part in someplace apart from The Bronx.
Conforto and his left-handed swing may be intriguing at Yankee Stadium, although it stays a thriller what he'll provide after not taking part in in any respect final season following shoulder surgical procedure.
The pie-in-the-sky answer is Bryan Reynolds, the Pirates outfielder who has requested a commerce, nevertheless it figures to take a haul to get him. Maybe the Yankees may provide some mixture of Gleyber Torres, Clarke Schmidt and a number of high-level prospects, however would even that be sufficient?
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