About the Off-Season: What’s Next?
By Tim Kabel
December 14, 2024
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Since I have become a full-time writer, I have never suffered from the condition known as writer’s block. However, this off-season, I have developed a case of “writers trading block”. It's not that I can't think of anything to write; it's just that I'm afraid to write anything because the Yankees will then make a trade which will make everything I've written obsolete.
I have been writing about the fact that Caleb Durbin should be the second baseman for the 2025 New York Yankees. He very well may be the starting second baseman in 2025 but, it will be for the Milwaukee Brewers, not the New York Yankees. Yesterday, the Yankees traded Durbin and one of my favorites, Nestor Cortes, to the Brewers for closer Devin Williams. It is hard to knock that trade. Williams is an All-Star who can dominate the end of a game, his collapse against the Mets in the playoffs notwithstanding. With Williams and Luke Weaver, the Yankees now have a solid back end of the bullpen. If they were to add Tanner Scott through free agency, they would have the beginnings of a dominant bullpen. They would also be able to carry a few of the reclamation projects that Brian Cashman adores. It was a good trade.
The question now is what is next? Caleb Durbin was considered the favorite to be the starting second baseman for the Yankees. Now, they need to do something else. They could acquire a second baseman. They could go with Oswald Peraza, but I don't think they will. Another option would be to move Jazz Chisholm, Jr. to second base, freeing up third base. Nolan Arenado has been discussed but it seems that the Yankees are not really interested. I agree with that lack of interest, due to his age and the decline that seems to have begun.
I think it is more likely that the Yankees will sign Alex Bregman. Bregman is a Gold Glove caliber third baseman. When the Yankees signed Max Fried the other day, they acquired a pitcher who induces a lot of ground balls. It would behoove the Yankees to have people who could actually pick those ground balls up and throw them over to the first baseman before the batter arrives at first base. If they did sign Bregman, the combination of him, Anthony Volpe, and Jazz Chisholm, Jr. would give the Yankees a tremendous defensive infield. Although I have been less than thrilled with the notion of the Yankees signing Christian Walker, due to his age, if it were a two or three-year contract, it might make sense, particularly with the infield I described.
As I was writing this, Kyle Tucker was acquired by the Cubs. It would have been nice had the Yankees acquired him. But I was not in love with the idea of trading Luis Gil, who has tremendous potential and ability, as evidenced by his 2024 Rookie of the Year award.
Perhaps the Cubs will determine they are out of contention by mid-season and trade Tucker at that point. They may also now be more inclined to send Cody Bellinger to the Yankees.
As I noted above, when I write articles at this time of year, I feel like the meteorologists on the evening news who are standing outside in the middle of a blizzard. Sure, they are telling you what is happening but, they are also being blown all over the place. I'm not sure which moves the Yankees will make but, they will definitely continue to make them. They will acquire a first baseman and most likely, a third baseman. They will pick up another outfielder. They may eventually sign Roki Sasaki. They could pick up Tanner Scott or another top relief pitcher.
The point is that after losing Juan Soto to the Mets, the Yankees are making moves. Since Soto became a Met, the Yankees signed Max Fried, re-signed Jonathan Loaisiga, and traded for Devin Williams. They are not done. It is quite possible that by the time all is said and done, the Yankees will be a better and more well-rounded team than they were with Juan Soto on the squad. Time will tell, but things look a lot brighter for the Yankees than they did on Sunday night. If you don't believe me, just ask Nicholas Turturro.
to be complete, it seems the hesitation was NOT about trading Gil. it was about trading BOTH Gil and Lombard
that said, I still make that trade. i would first attempt to see if there is ANY chance to give up Warren, Hampton, and another top prospect instead of Gil. i do not believe Houston would have done it, but if you do not ask, you dont know
i believe the Astros got a much worse player, getting Paredes instead of Gil, BUT it just so happens Paredes does ONE thing extremely well and that ONE thing fits Houstons park like a glove. if not for the existence of Paredes, I do believe the Yankees would have eventually gotten th…
Time to get to work on the offense. Bregman and Bellinger seem inevitable. Bellinger offers more value in CF. Hopefully that’s the plan. Get Santana at first for a year before pulling out the stops for Vlad. Bellinger can help out vs tough righties.
Add Hill and Finnegan to the pen and then go get “em!
Since Soto made his decision, the Yankees have cleaned up their backup catcher situation with trading away Narvaéz, traded a starter for a reliever, who will make just about the same money, and including infield prospect Caleb Durbin, do to me it seems that they decided to go out get themselves a 3B, to 2B. Since I said the Yankees were picking Durbin (2B) over Rice (1B), to join Dominguez (LF or CF) in the NYY starting lineup to start the 2025 season. There are multiple from multiple respected reporters expect Bellinger to be a Yankee at point over this weekend. I am now expecting another 2 or 3 moves, with the Yankees having another 5 open 40 man roster…
Yeah they’re making moves but not the right ones. What good is holding other teams to 2-3 runs when you only score 1-2? The lineup is crap outside of Judge. Tucker would have been a huge help, but Cashman is an idiot not wanting to include Gil, who frankly is not that good. There is nothing left out there that will make any difference. Bellinger, Bregman, Santander, Alonso? They all suck. 2025 is lost. And Cashman still has a job, because he saves Hal money. I’m so sick of it.