SSTN Mailbag: Free Agent And Trade Targets, Replacing Gleyber, And The 40-Man Roster!

The offseason is upon us in full force. Everyone wants to play armchair GM (myself included), and we are all beginning to hyper-analyze every comment made by a member of the front office, every meeting taken by a free agent, and every report that comes out about potential player movement and preferences (most of which are, of course, planted by agents and team officials alike). It's a confusing, frantic, and exciting time of year.

It's a touch less exciting this year, given that most of us still feel the sting from the Yankees' World Series loss. I'm still going to enjoy it, though. I don't have a giant introduction this week, so my apologies in advance. I've had my own frantic schedule to maintain in recent weeks, so my usual extended introduction is what had to give. On the bright side, I did plenty of research for your Mailbag questions, so there is that.

As always, thanks for the great questions and keep them coming to SSTNReadermail@gmail.com. In this week's SSTN Mailbag, we'll discuss my free agent and trade targets, replacing Gleyber Torres at 2B, and align the Yankees' 40-man roster and Rule 5 Draft protections! Let's get at it:

Jeffrey C. asks: Hi Andy, what free agents or trades make the most sense for the Yankees in the off-season, and what do you think it would take in terms of dollars or talent to land [them]?

Juan Soto is the most obvious free agent of the group, but he is obviously in his own category, so there's no sense in talking about him here. The Yankees will engage in a bidding war with all of MLB's financial powers to retain Soto's services for the next decade and change, and we'll know the results in due time. I do have concerns that the race for Soto and Steinbrenner's stated goal to reduce (!) payroll this season will hamper the Yankees' other pursuits on the free agent market, but regardless of that factor, there are some obvious roster fits beyond Juan Soto available in free agency.

No one has really connected this player with the Yankees, but I think playing Willy Adames at 2B or 3B would make a lot of sense. His offense has been somewhat inconsistent over the years, but he is generally a well above-average bat with good defense. His range at SS has declined, but I think he would still be an asset elsewhere on the diamond, and he has indicated a willingness to change positions. Adames has professional experience at both 3B and 2B, and retains excellent hands and a strong arm. I would check-in and see what his preference is for a position. Adames is a pull-heavy hitter without a ton of discipline, but he has power to all fields, and the confines of Yankee Stadium are a very good fit. Most projections have Adames landing a contract with a total value between $150 and $165 million over 6 years, which actually sounds quite fair for a player of his caliber, and most of the contract would take place during Adames' prime years. I'd be all over Adames if I were the Yankees.

Beyond an infielder, I would look very strongly at the pitching market. The Yankees need bullpen arms, and Tanner Scott and Carlos Esteves are both available. Both can close and both are used to fireman roles as well. Those two are better than any of the non-Luke Weaver pitchers the Yankees used in the bullpen this season, and I don't expect either to command more than $10-12 million per season for 3-5 years.

Of the top free agents, I also think it makes sense to add a starting pitcher, if possible, but given the team's other needs, I don't expect them to play at the top of the market. I am very intrigued by the potential for an incentive laden 2-year deal for Shane Bieber. Obviously, he won't be available until mid-season at the earliest in 2024, so an incentive-laden first year with an option for a 2nd year is incredibly interesting. Bieber would give a huge boost to the rotation in the 2nd half, if healthy.

On the trade market, I would go out and find a first baseman. My top choice is somewhat unorthodox: Alec Burleson, OF/1B with the Cardinals. He has huge pop from the left side, but he has some pitch decision issues; importantly, I don't view those issues as pitch recognition, which means he can improve with an adjustment to his approach. Every underlying number indicates that Burleson got unlucky at the plate in 2024, and Yankee Stadium really suits his light-tower pull-side power. Burleson is not a good defender in the outfield, but he has the tools to play a good 1B, which the Cardinals have exposed him to over the last couple of years. Burleson retains years of team control, and he fits the Yankees better than he fits the Cardinals.

To a lesser extent, I also like Lamont Wade Jr. and Andrew Vaughn for different reasons. Wade really works at-bats and plays fantastic defense, but he's not a traditional power threat. Vaughn is a reclamation project from a White Sox team that seems to ruin everyone, so I can't help but think there's more in the tank there.

Fuster asks: Who should succeed Gleyber Torres?

Willie Adames

Yoan [Moncada]

bring up a prospect?

who might best boost the Yankees' chances in 2025?

I talked about Adames above; he's a great option, but I have zero idea if he'll fit the Yankees' budget.

Moncada is actually very intriguing as a buy-low reclamation project. Moncada has plenty of talent, but has been banged up over the last couple of years around performance that remains inconsistent. He is capable of playing both 2B and 3B, which is a huge plus. The early indication in 2024 before yet another injury was that Moncada had revised his approach at the plate with really good results; he was hitting the ball really hard and he was drawing walks while keeping his strikeout rate in a manageable place. He has always made hard contact and really performs evenly against all pitch types, a rarity. Despite the fact that it feels like he's been around forever, Moncada remains just 29. Bringing in Moncada to compete for a roster spot might be really interesting...

...if the Yankees are willing to run a competition for the young guys, Caleb Durbin, Oswald Peraza, and Jorbit Vivas. I have never been as high on Peraza, and I don't think Vivas is quite ready for prime-time. Durbin is a really interesting player, though. Durbin is a burner who makes gobs of contact, does all of the little things well, and could stick at 2B defensively. Durbin gets every ounce of performance out of his tools, and might bring a real spark to the team, both with his style of play and his infectious, hair-on-fire attitude. Height aside, Durbin reminds me a lot of Brett Gardner, and this team has missed something since Gardner faded away. Cashman has specifically mentioned Durbin multiple times, and I very much wonder if the Yankees will open up a competition to see if Durbin grabs it.

If the Yankees don't go for Adames, I'd take a flyer on Moncada and open up the competition with at least Durbin and Vivas to see who emerges.

Alan B. asks: Less than 2 weeks to go before having to set the 40 man roster. So, if it was up to you, Who are you adding to the roster, and who are you dropping? And are you going right up to the 40 man limit, or are you going to leave it at 38 or 39?

Alan also asked about Rule 5 Draft protections in another question, so I'll answer all of it in one shot. The Yankee 40-man roster stands at 35 guys as of this morning. While the Yankees will eventually make signings and room needs to be created for those guys, that can be done at the time of acquisition. Additionally, the Rule 5 Draft in the modern day is generally filled with Quad-A players who won't stick. The proliferation of Rule 5 Draft successes a few years ago was really a product of the lost minor league season in 2020, as teams really didn't have a great handle on development between 2020 and 2021. If I'm the Yankees, I'd fill the 40-man by the deadline.

The Yankees need to add 5 players (I'm not dropping anyone immediately until the Yanks bring in more talent; no reason to force moves until it's necessary). The easiest and immediate Rule 5 protections are as follows:

TJ Rumfield

Jesus Rodriguez

Caleb Durbin

Zach Messinger

That leaves room for 1 spot, with 4 guys who could get it:

Alexander Vargas

Shaun Boyle

Tyrone Yulie

Alex Mauricio

Vargas is a SS prospect whose star has faded. He can really pick it at SS, but I just don't think he has the discipline to realize his raw offensive tools. Boyle has good stuff and I think he can pitch, but he's been really banged up. Yulie has also been banged up, but has much bigger stuff. Mauricio is a relief prospect who has had good results in the high-minors with a great slider and some feel for a cutter and change-up. My gut tells me to protect Mauricio, as he's the most likely to be able to stick on an MLB roster, but it's really a toss-up.