It will be a quiet Christmas in Yankees Universe due to the MLB lockout, but in reality, it was a quiet offseason even before commissioner Rob Manfred shut out the players.
Once the lockout ends, the Yanks will have to get busy if they want to improve a roster that once again disappointed in 2021. Some of the already existing pieces will have to improve themselves if New York wants to finally reach the heights it expected to since the surprising run in 2017.
So, in keeping with the holiday spirit, here are a few gifts Yankees fans should hope to have under their tree this season:
Upgrade at SS
There are some clear and drastic solutions to this glaring need for the Yankees. Carlos Correa is still available and would be a game changer for the Yanks both at the plate and in the field, not to mention his proven ability to perform in October. Of course, the narrative of 2017 and the cheating Astros still lives in the minds of Yankee fans, and even some of their players, so a transition into the clubhouse could be a challenge.
But the Yankees have the ability to act like the Yankees if they want to, and could outbid any team for Correa or Trevor Story, who would also be a big upgrade at the position. Waiting around for prospects like Anthony Volpe or Oswald Peraza doesn’t do anything for the current core of players still waiting to capitalize on their championship window, not to mention the gamble it is to bank on prospects panning out in the first place. The Yanks shouldn’t be seeking a bridge to a new era of maybes. Break out the checkbook, make the 2022 Yankees significantly better in the here and now, and worry about roster suffling if, not when, Volpe and/or Peraza prove to be franchise cornerstones.
Gleyber Torres rediscovers himself at 2B
This is a big one for the Yankees, who, in reality, have only seen Aaron Judge consistently sustain the star power he flexed in his historic rookie season. Many of the other promising prospects, or faces of the Baby Bombers craze, regressed over time, including Gary Sanchez and Torres, who has now turned in two straight seasons that look nothing like the two-time All-Star he was to start his career.
Torres blasted 38 home runs in 2019, was a prominent bat in the playoffs, and looked like one of the league’s next superstars. Then, he fell off in the pandemic shortened 2020 season before heating up at the end of the season, only to fall right back into a funk for much of 2021, while playing awful defense at shortstop along the way. Perhaps a shift back to a less demanding second base will help Torres rediscover his pop at the plate, which the Yanks will desperately need. Nine home runs and a .697 OPS isn’t going to cut it.
Giancarlo Stanton remains healthy
Stanton figured to be shifting to a prominent DH role after another season of injuries in 2020, but he eventually found his way into the outfield on a consistent basis in 2021, starting in late July. Not only did Stanton play 139 games and log 510 plate appearances, but he was one of the team’s most valuable hitters, smacking 35 home runs and posting an .870 OPS while once again showing up in the postseason (yes, it was only one game, but he was one of the only bright spots in the Wild Card loss).
If Stanton can stay healthy once again and log some time in the outfield, it will free up a lot more options for the Yankees and allow Aaron Boone to get a rotation of rest for other players who have their own history of injuries, like Judge and Aaron Hicks. Stanton clearly can still hit with the best of them when healthy, and the Yankees will need that dynamic power after falling off as an offense in 2021.
Luis Severino breaks the narrative
It’s hard to believe that Severino has thrown just 18 innings since the end of the 2018 season, when he had earned his second straight All-Star selection. By the 2018 All-Star Game, Severino had established himself as one of the true bonafide aces in the league, coming off a 2017 season where he finished third in the Cy Young voting. Then, he struggled and battled fatigue before a lat strain derailed his 2019 season, then missed all of 2020 following Tommy John surgery.
Severino made four appearances in 2021 after setbacks in his recovery from Tommy John delayed his return to the mound, but now, with a full offseason, he could come back as a dynamic starter to pair with Gerrit Cole. The Yankees need more help than that in their pitching staff, but internally, Severino returning to form would be a huge boost. Don’t forget, Severino is still only 27 years old, and more than capable of getting back to where he was three seasons ago.
An Aaron Judge extension
The Yankees, the richest team in baseball and one of the richest franchises in all of sports, can easily make this happen and lock up the face of their franchise. Yes, Judge is a unique case that will be 30 years old by the time he reaches free agency, but he was a monster in 2021, hitting a team-high 39 home runs with 98 RBI to go along with his .916 OPS, already the fourth time in his career that he has posted an OPS above .900.
Judge has his injury concerns, but his 633 plate appearances last season were the most he’s had since his rookie year, and Boone’s method of periodic rest days and managing general soreness seemed to work. Judge is without a doubt the team’s best bat and boasts a dynamic glove in the outfield. So the Yankees should get a deal done before Judge becomes a free agent at the end of the season.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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