The winter meetings are fastly approaching and the New York Yankees are very well expected to be in the thick of things, but what things?
If you thought the rumor mill was hectic for the New York Yankees, you haven’t seen anything yet.The 2016 winter meetings at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center outside Washington, D.C. will commence on December 5 and will end on the eighth.
For those who don’t know, these are unquestionably the busiest days of the offseason. Blockbuster trades, big free-agent signings and tons of rumors. You name it, it could probably happen during the winter meetings.
It’s total anarchy. Nonstop 24-hour hot stove activity with the ability to strike a deal coming at any point. Yes, even in the wee hours of the morning.
There is no telling what Brian Cashman could do to revamp the club within the next few days, but there are certainly some possibilities. Here are the three moves one could expect this week at the winter meetings.
A Trade Involving Brett Gardner
This is a move that seems like it is inevitable for the Yankees to make, to trade longtime outfielder Brett Gardner.
Within the past year, the Yankees have been shipping out practically all of their veterans who still hold some value and Gardner will most likely not be treated any differently.
In 2016, the left-fielder sported a slash line of .261/.351/.362 with 16 stolen bases and 41 RBI’s while winning himself the Gold Glove award among American League left fielders at season’s end — an award which could certainly boost his value.
There are many teams out there looking for a leadoff hitter and the 31-year old Yankee could be a perfect fit. One team in particular that comes to mind is the Washington Nationals.
Due to the disappointing 2016 from Ben Revere, the Nationals are in the hunt for a leadoff hitter and if they could provide the Yankees with some starting pitching help, a deal could certainly be done.
One pitcher who the Nationals could be willing to give up in such a deal would be left-handed starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez who could surely be beneficial to the starting rotation in the Bronx.
Surely nothing is set in stone and there should be other fits for Gardner other than Washington.
This is all speculative but fans should not be shocked during the Winter Meetings if Brett Gardner has to pack his bags and wear a different uniform for the 2017 campaign.
A Pursuit Of Starting Pitching
One of the weakest areas of the 2016 Yankees was starting pitching. The rotation only had one consistent starter in the form of Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia was great at times, but he was not a very consistent arm.
Outside of those two guys the rotation was one huge question mark, Nathan Eovaldi missed most of the season due to injury, Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova were disasters and Chad Green and Luis Cessa did not receive rotation spots until later in the year.
The current free agent market does not contain any sort of depth when it comes to starting pitching so they will have to find some in the form of trades.
The one pitcher who Brian Cashman should try to snatch away from Cincinnati is Anthony DeSclafani. DeSclafani found success in 2016 with a 3.28 ERA in 20 starts. His fastball sits around 93 m.p.h. but has touched 95 on the radar gun. He also throws a solid slider, with a two-seam fastball and an occasional knuckle-curve.
Another pitcher who the Yankees could target is free agent Tyson Ross who was recently non-tendered by the San Diego Padres.
In four seasons with the San Diego Padres, Ross went 26-35 and had a 3.16 ERA while striking out 9.2 batters per nine innings. These are top of the rotation like numbers which could bring huge success to the Bronx.
Unfortunately, Ross missed almost the entire 2016 season due to shoulder surgery but should be ready to go by May of 2017 at the latest. Therefore, the injury risk exists.
These are two of the best arms available this offseason that are affordable for the rebuilding Yankees and could possibly join the team as soon as within the next few days.
Ink A Closer
There is no doubt on any fan’s mind that the Yankees need to and will acquire a back-end bullpen arm this offseason.
Luckily, this year’s free agent market includes some of the best bullpen arms in all of baseball who could find their way to the Bronx to fix a questionable whole left by Dellin Betances putrid September.
Mark Melancon, Kenley Jansen, and Aroldis Chapman are all free agents but the tough decision the Yankees will have to make is to decide which one they will go after.
Chapman and Jansen will be demanding the most money out of the three pitchers which could lead to a price that the Yankees may not want to go to. Despite displaying his love for New York, if the price on Chapman goes too high the club should have no problem dropping out of the sweepstakes.
Melancon will most likely not be commanding as much money as the other due to a short track record but that could make him a much more attractive choice. New York should not get themselves wrapped into any long term deals right now and Cashman realizes that.
Because of that, Mark Melancon could potentially be the relief pitcher in which the New York Yankees leave the winter meetings with but again, no one can truly predict which player will be where as this is all pure speculation.
What do you think, fans? What moves, if any, are you expecting this week? Let your voice be heard in the comments below.