About the Off-Season: Is The End in Sight?

About the Off-Season: Is The End in Sight? 

By Tim Kabel

January 30, 2025

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By and large, the Yankees have done a very good job of rebuilding the team after the departure of Juan Soto and the other players who have gone elsewhere. In some cases, (Alex Verdugo, Anthony Rizzo) they have gone nowhere but, that could change. However, whether the Yankees are done is the question and the sticking point. 

Imagine that you were remodeling your kitchen. You ordered new counters, new cabinets, and new flooring. All those items were installed. However, you decided that you could go no further because of the budget you had imposed. In other words, there would be no painting. The walls would remain the color they had always been, and the peeling paint, faded spots and imperfections would be visible.

What would people notice when they came to see your new kitchen? Of course, they would notice the new cabinets and the new counters and the new floor but the thing that would stick out to most of them is that you didn't bother to paint. They would see the kitchen as incomplete. As much as they liked what you had done, they would focus a lot more on what you had not done

The same is true of the 2025 New York Yankees. Yes, they have made very significant additions to the roster. However, having DJ LeMahieu as the starting third baseman or even in a competition to be the starting third baseman, is chipped and faded paint in human form. First, with Aaron Boone as the manager, if there is a competition among DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Oswald Peraza, LeMahieu has a significant head start. Boone waxed poetic about LeMahieu’s performance at various points last year when he was absolutely dreadful. Boone kept saying that LeMahieu was very close and that at any moment he could suddenly explode out of his slump. He didn't. So, unless things change, DJ LeMahieu will most likely be the starting third baseman. That is not a good thing.

Hal Steinbrenner did an interview with Meredith Marakovits the other day. He said that it is “difficult for other owners to compete with the Dodgers’ spending”. There are a lot of things in life that are difficult but need to be done. If the Yankees are unable to compete with the Dodgers in the area of spending, it will be because Hal Steinbrenner chooses not to. If Hall Steinbrenner is content to leave the job unfinished, that's what he will be known for. He will be the guy who didn't paint his kitchen. He will get some credit for the moves the Yankees have made but “good enough” is not good enough.

Reportedly, the holdup in making additional moves is that the Yankees have been unable to rid themselves of the $18.5 million contract of Marcus Stroman by trading him. The thought is that if the Yankees free up that money, they can use it to address their needs at third base and in the bullpen. It will provide them with some flexibility. I do see the point. Marcus Stroman has no identified role on this team. He didn't pitch it all in the postseason last year and at best would be a marginal member of the bullpen or an insurance policy in case someone gets hurt. Trading him to create more financial flexibility makes sense. However, it shouldn't be a deal breaker when it comes to acquiring a third baseman or a left-handed relief pitcher.

I am not suggesting that the Yankees have to match the Dodgers dollar for dollar. They don't. However, they need to fully retool their roster. As the old saying goes, “anything worth doing, is worth doing well.” Hal needs to be more like his father in this regard. He doesn't need to be Silas Marner sitting at a table, counting his gold. 

Hal doesn't need to spend foolishly but, he should adhere to that other adage, “in for a penny, in for a pound. As an aside, if the penny is eliminated, this expression will become meaningless because none of the younger generations will know what a penny is. 

I read yesterday that Marcus Stroman has stopped following the Yankees on social media. Apparently, that is a sign that a deal might be imminent. That would be a good thing because it would remove a pitcher from the roster whom the Yankees do not need and give them financial flexibility to acquire a third baseman and a relief pitcher or two. They do not need to acquire Nolan Arenado. Based on his recent production, his age, and his salary, that would not be a prudent move. The Yankees don't need to make another one of those, (See Le Mahieu, DJ.) There are other, more affordable options who would make more sense on the field as well.

The point is that the Yankees started this renovation project. So far, they have done a very good job. They just need to finish what they started. Hal Steinbrenner does not want to be known as the guy who remodeled his kitchen but was too cheap to pay for the paint.