DiPietro: How Aaron Boone's Monday presser underlined a sure-to-be interesting Yankees offseason approach
During his Zoom media session Monday, Aaron Boone touched on his feelings about being back, how the idea of the Yankees’ poor defense blew up after the World Series, and, of course, free agency, with Roki Sasaki and Juan Soto the two big topics there.
But, in one answer each about Soto and Sasaki and three individual quotes about other players, Boone perhaps unknowingly underscored how the Yankees will look to get better outside of free agency, too, depending on what, as Brian Cashman often says, ‘presents itself in the marketplace.’
For instance, this quote about Jasson Dominguez’s future:
“I continue to be super excited about Jasson’s future. I’m in that camp with people who think he’s going to be a great MLB player. I love his makeup and talent, and I expect him to be a big part of things moving forward. As a young player, you’re working to earn those opportunities, but I fully expect him to be a big part of what we do this year. Whether it’s center or left depends on how the offseason shakes out, but he has the versatility to do either one.”
Of course it does – if the Yankees don’t re-sign Soto, Aaron Judge moves back to right, and the Yankees can find themselves the best outfield fit for center or left and place Dominguez in the other spot. If they DO re-up Soto, well, then it’s basically ‘does Judge feel comfy enough to move to left’ and that answer places Dominguez. – and probably Trent Grisham, too, who hit .190 last year and would be non-tendered instead of given a projected $6 million in arbitration…unless your CF depth chart has your starting left fielder second on it, perhaps.
Boone also said in discussing Sasaki that you never know how things shake out and ‘sometimes you hammer a strength,’ saying that moments after saying this of Gerrit Cole’s return:
“Gerrit’s been everything we could’ve hoped for. He’s been an ace. This year, having gone through an injury scare for the first time and missing half the season, for him to work his way back and be pitching as well as he was at the end of the year is a testament to his talent and determination. I’m definitely excited to have Gerrit back, because he leads our rotation, and I always believe he’s a guy who will continue to evolve as he gets older. He has the pitchability that I think will allow him to thrive for many more years.”
Money isn’t going to be the issue with Sasaki, because of his status as an under-25 international amateur free agent, so his posting fee and bonus will be both small and non-luxury taxable, plus he’ll only make about $3 million in salary in three pre-arbitration years.
But, right now, the Yankees have $64 million per year committed between Cole and Carlos Rodon for four years, Marcus Stroman for two more at $18.5mm per, team control on two young burgeoning studs in Clarke Schmidt (three years) and Luis Gil (four years), and one more arb year on Nestor Cortes, not to mention the Will Warrens and J.T. Brubakers of the world – so where does Sasaki fit in?
Well, perhaps someone would take Stroman, even if the Yankees eat some of that salary, or Cortes is available in a contract swap, or Gil or Schmidt get dealt in a package for a Soto-like player to fill a need elsewhere? The Yankees do need either a second or third baseman, depending on where they want Jazz Chisholm (and even then need to replace him after ’25), maybe an outfielder, a whole bullpen, etc. – which makes this thought on Caleb Durbin also interesting:
“I think he’s a stud, frankly. Great bat to ball skills, elite ability as a base stealer, good defender in the middle of the diamond who has started to create some position flexibility, all with the mind that he’s going to be a big-league player. I first saw him in person this spring and he’s a really competitive, hard- nosed, tough player. I’m excited about him, and I think he’s going to play a big role for us this upcoming season. I think he’s put himself in that conversation to start; as a young player, you have to earn those opportunities, and we’ll see how the offseason unfolds, but he’s in the mix as a guy knocking on the door for big league consideration.”
Durbin has to go on the 40-man roster this winter, but he did just reach Triple-A this season, even as he performed well there and has had back-to-back strong showings in the Arizona Fall League. But, say, maybe the Reds, who have a lot of youth at the back of their rotation and a superfluous, higher-salary player in Jonathan India, might look at Cortes for one year as a nice bridge No. 3 or 4 starter? They would add about $1 million in salary, so the Yankees would probably have to add a prospect, but India could play second base for one year at half of what Gleyber Torres cost this year, then he’s arbitration-eligible (read: non-tenderable) for 2026…so it’s a deal from a strength for a strong stopgap sort of thing.
We’ll see how things shake out, and of course, what happens with Soto will determine more than one team’s fates, but one thing is for certain: the landscape is going to look A LOT different in 2025, somehow.
