He didn’t spend big in free agency, but Hal Steinbrenner believes his New York Yankees squad is good to go for a championship run.
New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner once admitted on the Michael Kay Show that he isn’t “a baseball guy.”
However, he’s now declared the Bombers’ roster fully prepped to bring home the organization’s 28th MLB title 2019.
The Yankees managing general partner told Yankees On Demand that his goal for this season is to “win a world championship.”
“I absolutely believe we’re good enough to do that,” Steinbrenner continued, citing several of his club’s offseason moves.
An improved roster
Many fans hoped to see Manny Machado and/or Bryce Harper in the Bomber’s infield for 2019. Instead, Steinbrenner and Co. mostly underwhelmed in free agency, signing Troy Tulowitzki and DJ LeMahieu.
New York also inked Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, and J.A. Happ to bolster the pitching staff. But those deals came after the Yankees whiffed on Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi.
The team’s splashiest move this offseason was the trade that sent Justus Sheffield to the Seattle Mariners for James Paxton.
Steinbrenner told the interviewer that upgrading the team’s hurlers was his idea. And he’s very pleased with how GM Brian Cashman followed that mandate:
[membership level="0"] [/membership]“We certainly have a stronger starting rotation, in my opinion, than we did last opening day, and I think our bullpen’s better too.”
Staying healthy is key
But Steinbrenner pointed out that to follow through the team will need good fortune in terms of staying on the field.
“You can’t lose key players for one to two months at a time,” he said, referencing last season’s injury problems.
The Bombers lost Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, and Aroldis Chapman for long stretches of 2018. However, they were all fully recovered in time to lose to the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS.
Steinbrenner’s words indicate he’ll do his best to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
Just remember that Hal Steinbrenner isn’t a baseball guy. He’s a business guy.
