The Yankees have made it to the postseason the last four years and have come up short all 4 years. With the Red Sox being seemingly dead in the AL East and the Rays looking like less of a threat by losing Morton to free agency and Snell via trade, their rotation isn’t nearly as intimidating as it was. The Orioles are still not ready to compete and will continue to rebuild. The Blue Jays are not far away from being legit contenders. This is the year that the Yankees need to make a move that will put them above everyone in the American League. The Yankees window to win a championship is quickly closing and they need to act fast if they want to win a championship soon.
The Yankees signed Gerrit Cole to a record breaking contract last offseason and he was everything the Yankees could’ve asked for last season and performed as expected in the playoffs. The only problem with Gerrit Cole is that he can’t pitch every game for the Yankees. The Yankees desperately need help in their starting rotation and have to look into adding a true number 2 starter or even better an ace type starter like Trevor Bauer. Signing Trevor Bauer would almost guarantee the Yankees winning the AL East with Severino hopefully joining the rotation around the All-Star break. Signing Bauer is not out of the picture but doesn’t feel realistic at the moment. The Yankees need to use their farm system to get the players they need. We just saw the Padres get their guy in Blake Snell via trade, the Yankees should use their assets to acquire someone like Luis Castillo who would be a perfect compliment to Gerrit Cole and is under control for a few more years. Acquiring an All-Star caliber player via trade should be a priority for the Yankees, and they can afford to get rid of some prospects. Jasson Dominguez is the only prospect that should be untouchable at the moment.
I still believe the Yankees should go out and trade for Francisco Lindor. I think that would be an easier trade to get done than a trade for Castillo due to Lindor only having one year of control left and the Yankees would need to sign him to a massive extension. Lindor would add more balance to the Yankees lineup, he is a switch hitter and would be a much needed defensive upgrade at shortstop and allow Gleyber to move back over to 2B. Brian Cashman made it clear that DJ LeMahieu is the Yankees top priority right now, (me and Cashman disagree.. Check out “Why the Yankees SHOULDN’T Sign LeMahieu”) LeMahieu has been the Yankees best player the past two seasons but I believe there are other needs for the Yankees that are more important. The Yankees need pitching. Outside of Gerrit Cole the rest of the starting rotation currently is not ready and isn’t a playoff caliber rotation. The Yankees need to either sign Bauer or trade for Castillo, and also sign Kluber to a one year deal to compliment either one of those moves. Gleyber Torres is not a good defensive shortstop, he’s a second baseman, they don’t need DJ. The Yankees need to upgrade at shortstop whether it's Lindor or Story, not a one year deal for Simmons or Semien, they need to trade for Lindor or Story and then extend them immediately. Every move the Yankees make should be made with the intent to win now. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are only getting older and more fragile. The window is closing, don’t let Judge’s prime, the Stanton trade, and Gerrit Cole’s contract go to waste. Get the pieces to win now. There’s no reason the Mets, Blue Jays, and Padres can be okay with moving assets and spending money to win now and the Yankees can’t. We’re talking about the New York Yankees, we don’t get cheap and rebuild, we hand out blank checks and take your favorite team's best players, and then we win championships. It's been too long. The Yankees need to win now and this year is the best year to do so.
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