A Yankees Fan’s Christmas Wish List

To all those reading this and celebrating, Merry Christmas! While this has certainly been a year that will live on in infamy, 2021 is right around the corner, which means we can all relax with our families to get into the holiday spirit, even if we’ve been stuck with them for the past eight months! For anyone who knows my family or has spent time in our home, you know that within a couple of minutes, the conversation inevitably steers towards baseball, but unfortunately, the cancellation of the Winter Meetings and lack of in-person interactions across the sport has deprived us of any prolonged hot stove news since the World Series concluded in October. To help rectify that problem, here is my Christmas Day guide to a successful Yankees offseason.

1. Re-Sign DJ LeMahieu to a Five-Year, $105 Million Contract: This is a no-brainer, but up to this point, it sounds like the two sides are upwards of $25 million apart in contract talks, with LeMahieu looking for a five-year, $125 million contract in free agency after playing for the Yankees on a bargain $24 million contract the past two years. The unquestioned best player in pinstripes the past two seasons, LeMahieu followed up his All-Star, Silver Slugger debut season in the Bronx with a third-place MVP finish in 2020, hitting .364/.421/.590, leading the league in OBP and OPS+, and becoming the first player to win the batting title in the American and National League. Playing all over the infield, LeMahieu has hit .336 with a 145 OPS+ as a Yankee, and his versatility has been essential to a team that has been destroyed by the injury bug the past two seasons. While I understand the Yankees reservations of going five-years at an AAV of $25 million for a thirty-two-year-old, there’s no way the Yankees can afford to lose LeMahieu’s production at the plate and ability to play all over the diamond in the field. Look for the two sides to compromise on an AAV of $21 million, with the Yankees going five-years to keep LaMahieu from heading to division-rival Toronto, or the Mets across town.

2. Re-Sign Masahiro Tanaka to a Three-Year, $45 Million Contract: No matter where Tanaka ends up, expect the deal to take some time as the right-hander comes to terms with a major pay cut from his prior AAV of $22 million over the past seven years in pinstripes. Although it came in a shortened season, 2020 was Tanaka’s best all-around season since 2016, with a 3.56 ERA, 1.167 WHIP, 5.50 K/BB, and 120 ERA+. At thirty-two, Tanaka clearly isn’t the ace he once was, but has transitioned into using his off-speed pitches more consistently as his velocity has declined. From 2016–2019, Tanaka averaged thirty-starts and 179.0 IP for the Yankees, providing a steady presence in the rotation and impeccable postseason production. A fan-favorite in New York, the last we saw of Tanaka he was getting shelled by the Rays in the ALDS, and you have to think that both team and player would like to ensure that’s not the last image we have of Tanaka in New York. Look for the team to push their relationship into the decade range with a three-year deal, giving the Yankees much-needed depth behind Gerrit Cole, and Tanaka another chance to hit free-agency one last time at 35.

3. Sign Brad Hand to a Two-Year, $17 million Contract: The fact that Hand’s season ended with a spectacular blown save against the Yankees in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card series should not obscure the fact that Hand was one of the best relievers in baseball last season, with a perfect sixteen-for-sixteen saves record. Hand led the league in saves and games finished with 11.9 K/9, 2.05 ERA, and 0.773 WHIP, which made it shocking that there wasn’t a single-team that claimed him on waivers for $10 million before the non-tender deadline. Despite being filled with big names, the Yankees bullpen was quietly an issue at times last season, with Chad Green going through ups and downs, and Aaron Boone all but completely losing trust in Adam Ottavino, whose three-year deal expires at year’s end. By bringing in Hand, the Yankees get another All-Star, reliable arm in the bullpen, and can likely do so at a discount given Hand went unclaimed on waivers, and is entering free agency in a deep market for relief pitchers led by Liam Hendricks. Most importantly, Hand gives Aaron Boone another left-handed option out of the bullpen in the middle innings, allowing him to save Zach Britton and Aroldis Chapman for the eighth and ninth.

4. Trade Miguel Andujar, Clark Schmidt, Luke Voit, and Mike Tauchman to the Cleveland Indians for Francisco Lindor: Let me preface this move by saying that I would only make this trade as the Yankees if Lindor agrees to an extension as part of the trade, locking up a generational talent in Pinstripes for years to come. With Lindor likely to command a contract upwards of $300 million as arguably the best shortstop in baseball, the Indians are all but guaranteed to movie Lindor this offseason, and the Yankees line up as a trade-partner by filling the Indians need for offensive talent at the major league level. As much as Yankees fans (myself included) love Voit, the reigning American League home run champion, the reality is that last season may have been the peak in Voit’s production, giving the Yankees a unique opportunity to sell high. For the Indians, Voit immediately slides into the middle of their lineup, and at twenty-nine and still two-years from arbitration is exactly the type of cost-conscious slugger the team needs. It was only two years ago that Andujar bust on the scene by hitting .297 with 27 HR, 92 RBI, and 47 doubles, but with former Indian Gio Urshela proving his 2019 breakout wasn’t a fluke, it appears he will be entrenched at third base for the Yankees. Andujar can use and deserves a change of scenery and at twenty-five, is young enough to slide in as the Indians third baseman of the future, which allows the team to shore up two positions by moving Jose Ramirez over to second base. Tauchman slides into left field for the Indians and allows Franmil Reyes to transition into an everyday DH role, and Schmidt, a consensus top-100 prospect in baseball, should thrive under the tutelage of the Indians pitching development team. From the Yankees perspective, the trade needs no explanation, but Lindor’s bat will slide right into the top of the Yankee lineup, and his Gold Glove at short will be a welcomed sight that will allow Gleyber Torres to move back to second base, where he is more comfortable. Perhaps most importantly, this allows LeMahieu to settle in at first base, which should keep him on the field longer over the length of his contract, and keep his bat in the lineup every day.

5. Sign Jurickson Profar to a Two-Year, $13 million Contract: With Voit, Andujar, and Tauchman on the move, the Yankees can use a left-handed bat and a player who can fill in all the diamond with LeMahieu serving as the every-day first baseman. Although Profar never really panned out in Texas after being ranked as baseball’s #1 prospect, he’s still only twenty-seven and would give the Yankees a bat with some power (20 home runs in 2018 and 2019) off the bench. A switch-hitter, Profar would give the Yankees a speedy, left-handed option for their predominantly right-handed lineup, and can realistically fill in at any position other than catcher, having appeared at each position throughout his career. Both Profar and Tyler Wade would serve as the Yankees infield depth and backup outfielders.

6. Sign Jose Quintana to a One-Year, $8 million Contract: Even if the Yankees brought back Tanaka, their rotation would still not be particularly deep (especially with Schmidt on the move) behind Gerrit Cole and would look something like Cole, Tanaka, Jordan Montgomery, Deivi Garcia, and Domingo German. Given Garcia has six big-league appearances to his name and German hasn’t pitched since late 2019 due to a suspension, the Yankees need to go out and get another veteran innings eater. Enter former Yankee farmhand Quintana, who at thirty-one makes his return to New York on a one-year, prove-it contract in line with Robbie Ray’s $8 million deal with the Blue Jays. Although Quintana has only been a slightly above average starter the past few seasons and was limited to four appearances in 2020, he averaged 32 starts and 193 innings from 2013–2019 and would give the Yankees a strong veteran (and left-handed) presence in the back of their rotation until Luis Severino is ready mid-season, which also allows for the bonus of German working off his rust in the bullpen.

With that in mind, here’s what the Yankees twenty-five man opening day roster would look like if all these moves took place. Have a great holiday!

Catcher: Gary Sanchez, Kyle Higashioka
First Base: DJ LeMahieu
Second Base: Gleyber Torres, Jurickson Profar
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor, Tyler Wade
Third Base: Gio Urshela
Outfield: Aaron Judge, Clint Frazier, Aaron Hicks
DH: Giancarlo Stanton
SP: Gerrit Cole, Masahrio Tanaka, Deivi Garcia, Jordan Montgomery, Jose Quintana
RP: Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Brad Hand, Chad Green, Adam Ottavino, Luis Cessa, Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisiga