About the Off-Season: Which Direction Are We Headed?

About the Off-Season: Which Direction Are We Headed? 

By Tim Kabel

November 16, 2024

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The New York Yankees have decisions to make. Their lineup is set in many positions, but there are some moves that need to be made. There is a quite a bit of work to be done. Right now, the Yankees seem to be exploring all their options and figuring out what they will do. There are not a lot of moves being made currently. That inactivity creates a vacuum. As we all know, nature and my Aunt Ethel abhor a vacuum.

Every day there are at least 417 articles written about what the Yankees are definitely going to do at various positions. For example, I have read that the Yankees will be signing Christian Walker to play first base I have also read that they will be signing Pete Alonso to play first base or having Ben Rice play first base. Another report suggested they will trade for Cody Bellinger. Yet another said the Yankees will trade for Vladimir Guerrero, Jr.. Still another said that DJ LeMahieu would magically regain his form from over four years ago and become the starting first baseman. Anthony Rizzo re-signing has been mentioned as a possibility as well. When you listen to all these suggestions, it is mind boggling. Each one of these articles is very convincing. When I finish reading one of them, I fully believe that it has correctly predicted what will happen. Until I read the next one. 

What we do know is that at this point, first base is undecided for the Yankees next year. So is second base. The composition of the outfield is not yet finalized. There is a lot of uncertainty.

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but uncertainty is the mother of rumor mongering. Everyone has a theory, a suggestion, and a solution. Some people have more than one. As a fan, you can't put too much stock in any of these suggestions. It's nice to listen to them. But until the Yankees actually do something, all we have are rumors and innuendos.

Once the first pieces start falling into place, we will have a much better idea of what will happen. For example, if the Yankees do what was suggested by Dr. Semendinger and others, including me, and acquire Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., that will resolve a lot of issues. We will know that he will be the first baseman. It would also be less likely for the Yankees to pursue a costly player for the second base vacancy. That would make Caleb Durbin a more likely option. If the Yankees acquire a big time third baseman, then Jazz Chisholm, Jr. would likely be headed to second base. Until the Yankees start to make moves, you will continue to read articles or hear reports on sports radio about the Yankees being interested in almost everyone. This happens every year and every year it seems to be worse than it was the previous year.

One thing is certain, the biggest piece of the puzzle is what will happen regarding Juan Soto. If Soto returns, there will still be other moves to be made but the biggest move for next year and the foreseeable future would have been completed. What would remain would be to build the team around him and Aaron Judge and the other known commodities. However, if Juan Soto signs with another team, the Yankees would need to pivot and fill the void created by his absence.

I do not imagine the Yankees will make many significant moves, particularly regarding the offense until Juan Soto’s landing spot is made official. However, they could make lesser moves or moves to address the pitching staff, such as acquiring a bullpen arm or two or perhaps signing a starter such as Jack Flaherty, for example. However, much like Soto s decision will dictate a lot of what happens with the offense, the same may be true with Roki Sasaki in the pitching department.

In the coming days and weeks, you will continue to read and hear dozens of reports about moves the Yankees will “definitely make”. All I can tell you is that they will definitely make moves, we just don't know which ones. So, read all those articles, listen to all those stories and run out to the grocery store and by a giant box of salt because you will need a lot of grains of salt to get through all of those conjectures, theories, and suppositions. Then again, that's what makes this time of year so much fun.