Official 2018-19 Offseason / Hot Stove Thread

[Bauer]

I have been saying this when the “too many homeruns” argument surfaced over 10 years ago. Yes its been that long.

However, when one is committed to the all-or-nothing-at-all principles of the power swing and the pursuit of the proper launch angle, that advice--i.e.: Cut down on the launch angle and aim for the gaps when you need runs--sound as it is in principle, may be difficult to turn on and off as the situation demands.

[jesterno2]

This is basically the perfect storm off-season and I'm all for going Evil Empire mode, but obviously in a smart manner like we did in 2009 with great fits to address our biggest areas of need - TOR pitching, IF defense, and lineup balance with a focus on more OBP. We have one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, a stud young core to build around, and now we've reset our luxury tax bill.

Harper, LF:
I'm all for it. Stick his almost .400 OBP in the leadoff spot in front of the big bats and his production should match that of the Betts/Springer/Lindor leadoff guys the other contenders are rolling out, and with plenty of pop

Machado:
Sell him on the vision for both the club's dynasty outlook and his potential future HOF status as one of the greatest 3B of all time. Talents like this don't become available at his age but maybe once in a generation, so make it happen. He would also free us up to make the next painful move...

MadBum, #1:
Back up the truck for him. The Giants will more than likely go rebuild mode with the new regime and how badly that roster is constructed. I don't want to trade Andy but a TOR guy like MadBum is what puts us over the top. Take on Belt's salary with him as a utility guy if need be and offer a godfather package of Andy, Sheffield, Holder and their choice of 2 of Frazier/Wade/Acevedo/Abreu/Sauer/Adams/Estrada. If they demand Florial as part of the trade I'd push back but would ultimately include him if it gets it done. That package absolutely beats anything that other aces have netted in recent years.

Corbin, #3:
Kind of a no-brainer, although I wouldn't go crazy with the contract given he's 30 and not a long track record but get him

Keuchel or Happ, #5:
Keuchel very likely won't be back with the Astros and his ground ball style should play well in YS, especially if we improve the IF defense. Obviously not a big payday but I'd love his grit here. If not him I'm fine bringing back Happ, who's proven he can pitch in the AL East and handle NY, and we'll have Monty in the wings coming back from his TJ surgery for either of these guys to mentor

Votto, 1B:
My sneaky Cashman ninja move of the off-season. His OBP numbers are still insane and I think he'd bring a fiery attitude here like Paul O'Neill did when we got him from the Reds. Holiday and Frazier's voices were instrumental in shaping these kids last year and I feel like we've been missing that this year. I think Votto could bring that back to the locker room. Figure a favorable salary-dump exchange for them (Ellsbury?), offer some change-of-scenery guys like Bird and Sonny, throw in some stud middle tier pitching prospects, and maybe even consider picking up Hamilton as a LIDR/PR off the bench as part of the deal. #freevotto
(if they ask for a legit package or players/prospects I'd be willing to do something legit to get him, but with his contract and age I just don't think it would require that, for the record)

Britton, Set-up:
Bring him back

Robertson, Set-up:
Bring him back if the price is right, but if it's him vs any of the other pieces here I'll be sad to see him go

Hicks, CF:
Extend him

Didi, SS:
Extend him. No way we should be letting him go with the defense and leadership he brings, and he can occasionally even carry the team with his bat as he did in April

CC, advisor:
He's been worth his crazy contract and I'd love to keep him in the fold, but it's time to move on from him as a player. If he really wants to pitch let him try to find a job somewhere else, but if no one comes knocking maybe he could take a special advisor role with our pitchers

Gardner:
Same as CC but without the advisor role stuff. Thanks for the years of service Brett!

Sonny:
Gone by whatever means necessary



MadBum
Sevy
Corbin
Tanaka
Keuchel/Happ

Chapman
Betances
Britton
Robertson?
Green
Tarpley
Lynn/kids

Harper
Judge
Votto
Machado
Hicks
Stanton
Didi
Sanchez
Gleyber

Belt/Voit
Torreyes/Hechavarria
Romine
Hamilton?

[Bauer]

What happens to Sonny ?

Sonny gets blue.

[Spin]

This is basically the perfect storm off-season and I'm all for going Evil Empire mode, but obviously in a smart manner like we did in 2009 with great fits to address our biggest areas of need - TOR pitching, IF defense, and lineup balance with a focus on more OBP. We have one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, a stud young core to build around, and now we've reset our luxury tax bill.

Harper, LF:
I'm all for it. Stick his almost .400 OBP in the leadoff spot in front of the big bats and his production should match that of the Betts/Springer/Lindor leadoff guys the other contenders are rolling out, and with plenty of pop

Machado:
Sell him on the vision for both the club's dynasty outlook and his potential future HOF status as one of the greatest 3B of all time. Talents like this don't become available at his age but maybe once in a generation, so make it happen. He would also free us up to make the next painful move...

MadBum, #1:
Back up the truck for him. The Giants will more than likely go rebuild mode with the new regime and how badly that roster is constructed. I don't want to trade Andy but a TOR guy like MadBum is what puts us over the top. Take on Belt's salary with him as a utility guy if need be and offer a godfather package of Andy, Sheffield, Holder and their choice of 2 of Frazier/Wade/Acevedo/Abreu/Sauer/Adams/Estrada. If they demand Florial as part of the trade I'd push back but would ultimately include him if it gets it done. That package absolutely beats anything that other aces have netted in recent years.

Corbin, #3:
Kind of a no-brainer, although I wouldn't go crazy with the contract given he's 30 and not a long track record but get him

Keuchel or Happ, #5:
Keuchel very likely won't be back with the Astros and his ground ball style should play well in YS, especially if we improve the IF defense. Obviously not a big payday but I'd love his grit here. If not him I'm fine bringing back Happ, who's proven he can pitch in the AL East and handle NY, and we'll have Monty in the wings coming back from his TJ surgery for either of these guys to mentor

Votto, 1B:
My sneaky Cashman ninja move of the off-season. His OBP numbers are still insane and I think he'd bring a fiery attitude here like Paul O'Neill did when we got him from the Reds. Holiday and Frazier's voices were instrumental in shaping these kids last year and I feel like we've been missing that this year. I think Votto could bring that back to the locker room. Figure a favorable salary-dump exchange for them (Ellsbury?), offer some change-of-scenery guys like Bird and Sonny, throw in some stud middle tier pitching prospects, and maybe even consider picking up Hamilton as a LIDR/PR off the bench as part of the deal. #freevotto
(if they ask for a legit package or players/prospects I'd be willing to do something legit to get him, but with his contract and age I just don't think it would require that, for the record)

Britton, Set-up:
Bring him back

Robertson, Set-up:
Bring him back if the price is right, but if it's him vs any of the other pieces here I'll be sad to see him go

Hicks, CF:
Extend him

Didi, SS:
Extend him. No way we should be letting him go with the defense and leadership he brings, and he can occasionally even carry the team with his bat as he did in April

CC, advisor:
He's been worth his crazy contract and I'd love to keep him in the fold, but it's time to move on from him as a player. If he really wants to pitch let him try to find a job somewhere else, but if no one comes knocking maybe he could take a special advisor role with our pitchers

Gardner:
Same as CC but without the advisor role stuff. Thanks for the years of service Brett!

Sonny:
Gone by whatever means necessary



MadBum
Sevy
Corbin
Tanaka
Keuchel/Happ

Chapman
Betances
Britton
Robertson?
Green
Tarpley
Lynn/kids

Harper
Judge
Votto
Machado
Hicks
Stanton
Didi
Sanchez
Gleyber

Belt/Voit
Torreyes/Hechavarria
Romine
Hamilton?

I would extremely wary of trading for Bumgarner. He would cost a ton and I think that his numbers have been helped by pitching at AT&T. Is he a good pitchers? Yes, but Yanks will have to way overpay. They will be paying for both a TOR as well as the teams' marque player. IMO, trade package would start with Sheffield, Torres, Florial and Andujar and probably one or two others to get the conversation started.

[jesterno2]

I would extremely wary of trading for Bumgarner. He would cost a ton and I think that his numbers have been helped by pitching at AT&T. Is he a good pitchers? Yes, but Yanks will have to way overpay. They will be paying for both a TOR as well as the teams' marque player. IMO, trade package would start with Sheffield, Torres, Florial and Andujar and probably one or two others to get the conversation started.

They may start asking for that package but obviously, that doesn't mean the conversation ends there.

Andujar - 23-year old ROTY elite bat, albeit needing some heavy work on his defense. these are the kinds of blue chips you build franchises around. I wouldn't trade him for anything less than a MadBum type and if Machado wasn't on the table to man 3B

Sheffield - pretty good bet to be a #2-3 and could still develop into TOR with some luck. one of the best pitching prospects in all of baseball and will benefit from that park as you mentioned.

Frazier/Florial - either you're getting a kid you can plug into your outfield right away to start who'd still be a top 100 prospect if he qualified, or you get one of the top CF prospects in all of baseball with a super high ceiling

Holder - 25 year old RP that showed flashes of set-up man stuff. better than just about anything else they have in their pen right now, to be honest

Acevedo/Abreu/Sauer/Adams - all guys rated in or around the top 100 prospects in baseball. I'd imagine Acevedo and Abreu are more attractive than Sauer and Adams at this point, but who knows what their scouts think and I'm fine parting with 2 of any of them as part of the package

Wade/Estrada - both still legit IF prospects, just not really a place for them on the Yanks but certainly enticing for a team that lacks blue chip prospects and needs both guys you can plug in in the coming years of chips to use in trades

No way Torres is included in this trade when you have basically the chance to build a package around 5 blue chip kids who are all either ML ready right now or getting close. There's plenty on the table that I just mentioned and no one else is going to be in a position to top that

[Doctor Wily]

The window is closed.

See you in 2024.

[KayForPresident]

The window is closed.

See you in 2024.

Well, DANG. That's pretty bleak. Also pretty laughable.

[longtimeyankeefan]

I live in the O's/Nats market. Machado is adamant about not wanting to play 3rd. He came out in ST and said he's a SS, that's the position he intends on playing moving forward. I fail to see why so many people think he's so willing to play 3rd. And don't say money talks...it doesn't always. I remember Cliff Lee taking less money to go back to the Phillies after his wife said fans spit on her during a post season game. There are teams that will offer Machado mega bucks to play SS.

Machado's insistence that he was a SS was entirely related to his upcoming free agency. If the Yankees offer him top dollars to play 3B, he will play 3B.

And he is a below average defensive SS - any team that signs him to play SS is going to rue that decision.

[ClownPickle]

He'll be 33 this December and hasn't played a full season since 2016. Please tell me what you see in him.

He's still really really good. He came back very strong with Cleveland to finish the season. Even in his shortened 2017 season, he put up a 5.1 fWAR that would have been 1st on this years club.

He's the only player that offers absurd upside on a year or two year deal.

[ThePinStripes]

Focus should be starting pitching, starting pitching and more starting pitching.

If CC is leaving, which it's safe to assume he is, that leaves us a diminished Severino, Tanaka and no one else worth noting.

[Yankyfan]

Focus should be starting pitching, starting pitching and more starting pitching.

If CC is leaving, which it's safe to assume he is, that leaves us a diminished Severino, Tanaka and no one else worth noting.

Yes, Yes and Yes...

[albo4lyfe]

Probably non-tendered.

Noooooo. He'll get traded. Could be a couple of lottery kids. Seattle is also known to move relievers for starters. Diaz is not happening, but I wonder if they have an intriguing arm we could target for the pen.

[albo4lyfe]

I would extremely wary of trading for Bumgarner. He would cost a ton and I think that his numbers have been helped by pitching at AT&T. Is he a good pitchers? Yes, but Yanks will have to way overpay. They will be paying for both a TOR as well as the teams' marque player. IMO, trade package would start with Sheffield, Torres, Florial and Andujar and probably one or two others to get the conversation started.

Oh, stop it. Sale had three years of cheap control left when he was moved and he was younger. MadBum has 1 year of control left. What did Sale fetch? Yeah, no one as valuable/proven as Andújar.

[spanky185]

We don’t know that for sure. Harper will likely have to go under the same changes Stanton did this year. New league, position, DHing, new city/bigger market. If Stanton is still on the team next year, I expect him to improve.

Harper has at least played in pressure situations. The Marlins have pretty much been eliminated on opening day for years. Not saying Harper wouldn't have a transition year, most do, but he should be a bit more used to it

[fightingirish595]

Harper has at least played in pressure situations. The Marlins have pretty much been eliminated on opening day for years. Not saying Harper wouldn't have a transition year, most do, but he should be a bit more used to it

That’s an accurate statement

[Jmg32]

It would be utterly foolish of the front office to pursue Machado and would cede the division to Boston for the foreseeable future. He does not meed a need for this team. What this team desperately needs and what is keeping us from winning a title is pitching. There's a reason the old adage "good pitching beats good hitting" has been proved time and time and time and time again, and was proved again in our series against Boston.

Over the course of a 162-game schedule, you'll run into more than enough mediocre to sub-par pitching to beef up your stats (e.g. team home run record) and win a bunch of games. But come playoff time when every team you face has quality pitching, it'll likely be a different story.

With our lineup if we had a legit #1 and #2 starter, we'd be unstoppable. But I fully expect to go out and add Machado so we can add another meaningless 45 or so homers to our season total.

[mbn007]

Stanton probably doesn't get to 100RBIs if Judge doesn't miss all of that time.

He probably gets to 110-120 if Judge is there all that time. Putting a .400+ OBP guy in front of him adds more RBIs, much more than he loses based on what Judge drives in.

[mbn007]

We don’t know that for sure. Harper will likely have to go under the same changes Stanton did this year. New league, position, DHing, new city/bigger market. If Stanton is still on the team next year, I expect him to improve.

Same here. i posted this earlier, and someone thought otherwise. I would almost guarantee that a player of his pedigree will have a better 2nd year in NY than his 1st year. It has happened many times in the past with big-name players.

[BERGKID]

Harper>>>>>>>>>>Machado

I would sign Harper & Donaldson. I would stay away from Corbin & Machado, I would sign Morton on a 1-2 year deal if he's interested & try to trade for a young pitcher, Michael Pineda type deal.

[Zimmer's Helmet]

I see the crazies are out in full force in this thread right from the 1st post (which started before the season even ended) on a team that just won 100 games.

And of course, that personal attack would be aimed at me since I started this thread.

Stay classy. Not sure what your problem is, but I suggest you get your sh*t together.

Funny, you bashed the thread for existing yet you still felt the need to comment on it...

[mbn007]

What happens to Sonny ?

If he is not traded this winter, he very well could be non-tendered if his salary demands are in the $9 million range, in his last arbitration year. Not worth that to the Yankees.

[Doctor Wily]

What really crazy is to think this team will actually be this good or competitive without a total retool.

[KayForPresident]

With our lineup if we had a legit #1 and #2 starter, we'd be unstoppable. But I fully expect to go out and add Machado so we can add another meaningless 45 or so homers to our season total.

But the analytics, man. THE ANALYTICS! MOAR HOMERUNZZESZ!!!!11!!1!!

[NelsonMuntz]

It would be utterly foolish of the front office to pursue Machado and would cede the division to Boston for the foreseeable future. He does not meed a need for this team. What this team desperately needs and what is keeping us from winning a title is pitching. There's a reason the old adage "good pitching beats good hitting" has been proved time and time and time and time again, and was proved again in our series against Boston.

Over the course of a 162-game schedule, you'll run into more than enough mediocre to sub-par pitching to beef up your stats (e.g. team home run record) and win a bunch of games. But come playoff time when every team you face has quality pitching, it'll likely be a different story.

With our lineup if we had a legit #1 and #2 starter, we'd be unstoppable. But I fully expect to go out and add Machado so we can add another meaningless 45 or so homers to our season total.

Why can't they do both? They can sign Machado and Corbin while also exploring trades for starting pitching. Regardless, adding a 140 wRC+ bat while dramatically improving our 3B defense would certainly not "cede the division to Boston".

[longtimeyankeefan]

If he is not traded this winter, he very well could be non-tendered if his salary demands are in the $9 million range, in his last arbitration year. Not worth that to the Yankees.

I can't see him being non-tendered. That date is usually around December 1 - essentially, the team would be dfaing Gray with no return.

Cashman needs to try very hard in November to trade him for something - I do think he has value.

Joel Sherman in today's NY POST:

And a word on Gray: Many teams will believe the righty (29 next month) salvageable, and there will be a trade market. His Vanderbilt pitching coach, Derek Johnson, is the Brewers’ pitching coach and — like Yankees dud A.J. Burnett — Gray could get traded into the NL Central and have success. Gray could help the Yankees do some system replenishing. Or how about two guys who would be entering their walk seasons off of down years: Gray for Milwaukee’s Jonathan Schoop, who in theory could play second, with Torres moving to third and Andujar to first? Schoop and fellow Curacao native Gregorius are friends.