Things have been extremely quiet in the world of the New York Yankees. We are a few weeks removed from New York announcing the Aaron Judge deal along with naming him captain as well as the Carlos Rodon press conference.
With Judge back in the fold and Rodon added to the rotation, all eyes turned to the Yankees void in left field. Andrew Benintendi signed a five-year deal with the White Sox. Benintendi was the Yanks' top outfield target on the FA market, but New York wasn’t willing to go five years for their former left fielder.
They kicked the tires on Michael Conforto, but ultimately didn’t have enough interest to make an offer. Now, the free-agent market is mostly dried up from an outfielders perspective. Jurickson Profar is the one guy left on the market that the Yanks have interest in.
Profar had okay numbers last season and likely would produce better numbers if he played at Yankee Stadium. He is very good out in left field defensively and that checks a big box for New York. Signing Profar isn’t a sexy move, but he would be a welcomed addition to the team especially if it means that Aaron Hicks is no longer in the rotation.
Yankees Can’t Stay Put
It is no secret who the Yankees want. The Yanks want Bryan Reynolds and have been having conversations with the Pirates since the offseason began. However, the Pirates have been asking for the moon and the stars to trade away their disgruntled outfielder.
Reynolds requested a trade after the Pirates offered him an extension which frankly was a slap in the face considering the talent of a Bryan Reynolds. The Pirates have wanted to make a deal centered around pitching prospects which doesn’t behoove the Yankees who have much better positional prospects in their farm.
Brian Cashman has indicated that if no reasonable deal can get done that they would be content rolling with what they have. I’m telling you now, the Yankees cannot roll with what they have. Re-signing Aaron Judge was massive. Signing Carlos Rodon was huge. However, from an offensive standpoint, the team on paper is worse than last year’s peak.
I love Oswaldo Cabrera, but he should not be penciled in as the starting left fielder. He needs to be that super-utility player for the Yankees. Anyone suggesting Aaron Hicks with any level of seriousness should be thrown out a window. New York needs an upgrade for the lineup and they can’t stop until they get one.
I ultimately believe the Yankees will acquire a new left fielder. There’s part of me that believes they will ultimately get Reynolds because it’s rare that they spend this much time on a guy without getting a deal done. Time will tell, but the Yanks must act if they want to cap off the offseason.
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