New York Yankees talking extension with Didi Gregorius, Dellin Betances

Aaron Case • 02/26/2019

Brian Cashman and the New York Yankees are working on locking in their key players long-term. Next up, Dellin Betances and Didi Gregorius.

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The New York Yankees are finally trying to spend that Manny Machado and Bryce Harper money. They’re just investing it in their current roster.

After Luis Severino and Aaron Hicks recently inked new deals, Dellin Betances and Didi Gregorius may also be set to obtain job security.

Fancred’s Jon Heyman tweeted on Tuesday that the Bombers are discussing extensions with the two. According to Heyman, Betances is first in line, and the Yankees and Gregorius are crushing hard on each other:

yankees are talking to both didi gregarious and dellin betances about extensions. betances is expected to get done first. didi would obviously not be a small deal. tj is minor factor but certainly not an impediment. moe important: didi and yanks love each other.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 26, 2019

The Severino and Hicks contracts will each cost New York a reasonable $10 million per year. Betances and Gregorius may not be so cheap.

Gregorius already has an $11.75 million contract in place for 2019. Betances’s payroll hit is $7.125 million.

For reference, Hicks had a $6 million arbitration deal before his extension gave him a $4 million raise.

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Betances, 30, has been one of the best setup men in baseball since he took on the role in 2014. He’s had stretches of wildness, but his career 2.36 ERA and 14.6 SO/9 are excellent bargaining chips.

The four-time MLB All-Star also has 36 career saves.

And then there’s Gregorius, who hit a career-best 27 home runs in 2018. In fact, he’s posted a new high in long balls every season he’s played with the Yankees.

The 29-year-old has slashed a solid .274/.319/.447 in his time in pinstripes, and he’s a verified fan favorite.

Forget about Machado and Harper. The team chemistry that comes from keeping this group of Bombers together could turn out to be worth far more than any one superstar signing.

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