Potential Roster for the 2019 Yankees

Now that the Yankees season is over it's time once again to project how their roster could look when spring training opens in February. I will examine each aspect of the Yankees roster and build up a potential roster with any trades or free agent signings that may be possible.

Bullpen:

We already know for sure that Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, Chad Green, and Jonathan Holder will be back in the Yankee bullpen for 2019. Stephen Tarpley, whom the Yankees called up in September when the rosters expanded seems to have garnered favor within the Yankees organization and has good chance of making the opening day roster next year. That leaves the remaining 2 or 3 spots in the bullpen up for grabs. David Robertson and Zach Britton are the 2 big name free agents the Yankees have. Both have expressed interest in returning but I think it is time to cut ties with both. Britton performed well for the most part but gave up the deciding home run in Game 4 of the ALDS. While the numbers for him make look impressive, I do not believe that Britton passed the eye test for me. He relies heavily on his sinker and with the defensive struggles of Gary Sanchez could bring more harm than good. Plus, his FIP was 4.08 which more accurately shows what his numbers would have looked had he been in Baltimore all season. As for Robertson, his ERA spiked almost 1.5 points this season compared to 2017. He also matched a career high giving up 7 home runs which too many for a reliever. Like Britton, his numbers are impressive for the most part but the eye test doesn't convince me enough to resign him. Plus, both Britton and Robertson will command relatively high salaries in the open market and Yankees are better off allocating those funds towards other resources which I will get to later. Tommy Kahnle will have one more chance to redeem himself but he is on thin ice. Domingo German could also see himself slot in as the long guy in relief. The Yankees could also a sign a reliever in free agency for a modest price. There are rumors floating around that Andrew Miller could come back. I'm all for the idea as long as it's for no more than 2 years. Hopefully, he can regain his old form. Cody Allen and Craig Kimbrel are probably too expensive. However, some other more affordable examples include, Jeurys Familia or Brad Brach. The other option is the Yankees could trade for someone for not too large of a return or bring up another prospect or 2.

Starting Pitching:

We know for sure that Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino will be back next season. Lance Lynn did not impress enough to entertain the thought of re-signing. CC Sabathia had his time but now the team needs to get the staff younger and not have someone whom they are constantly worried about being injured. Speaking of injuries, Jordan Montgomery will not be ready for opening day so he is not an option as of now. However, I think it is worth negotiating a return with J.A. Happ. Other than his start against Boston in the playoffs, Happ was tremendous down the stretch. In 11 starts, he went 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA. I would offer another deal similar to want Toronto gave him. 2-3 years with average of 10-15 a year. Plus, it would be nice to have a lefty in the rotation if CC goes. However, it is worth noting that he is going to be 35 on Opening Day. Sonny Gray's future is still up in the air, but I would attempt to trade if possible for just about anything, even a low level prospect. If not, he only has 1 year of control left which isn't too bad for the Yankees. I previously mentioned the rotation getting younger, it's risky but I believe it is a risk worth taking. Depending on how they do in camp, I would slot Justus Sheffield and Jonathan Loaisiga in the opening day rotation. Loaisiga showed promise as a starter this year despite what his numbers tell you. It is a small sample size and he has devastating slider to go with the high velocity fastball. Sheffield had one of the best ERA's in AAA last season. The Yankees proved last season with Torres and Andujar that is it never too young to get a chance in the majors. Chance Adams has also showed flashes of brilliance. After a down year last season, he could come out of the bullpen for now if he has a good camp and prove himself worthy of a starting spot. If they can't sign Happ look for the Yankees to go after another lefty starter (no not Kershaw or Price if they opt out). The two names I am hearing at the moment are Dallas Keuchel and Patrick Corbin. I personally would attempt to sign Corbin because he would probably end up being more affordable of an option.

Catcher:

The Yankees are set at catcher for now with Romine and Sanchez. However, Sanchez needs to bounce back and prove last year was just an off year otherwise the trade talks will begin swirling.

Infield:

Miguel Andujar is set at 3rd. Torres could fill anywhere but he is definitely on the opening day roster. Now to talk about the elephant in the room. Didi needs Tommy John surgery and is looking at a mid season return. He has 1 year of control remaining. The means the Yankees should go after (you guessed it!) Manny Machado. I mentioned Machado earlier and for him I think it worth opening the wallet a little bit more and investing in someone that could be a fixture in the lineup for the next 10+ years. His offense more than makes up for his average defensive metrics and his presence in the lineup will give others such as Judge and Stanton more pitches to hit. Trade Didi once healthy. Plan B would be to get a rental for a year. Someone such as Asdrubal Cabrera, Alcides Escobar, Freddy Galvis, etc. and try to sign Didi to an extension before he hits free agency. For first base, Luke Voit proved to be the jolt the Yankees lineup needed. Greg Bird will be back looking to reclaim his spot. As with Sonny Gray, I personally would trade Bird for just about anything at this point. Even for cash for international signing. The Yankees could sign a left-handed bat to platoon at first with Voit. Someone like Matt Adams or Lucas Duda for a 1-year deal and that has power to right field that will help in the short porch at Yankee Stadium. I would also try to bring back Adeiny Hechavarria for defense and pinch running duties off the bench. If not, see Ronald Torreyes slot back into his utility role.

Outfield:

Judge, Hicks, and Stanton are the locks to return in the outfield. Stanton will most likely be the DH for the majority of games. I attribute his high strikeout numbers due to not being accustomed to American league pitching. That needs to change next season as his playoff performance reflected his strikeout woes. Gardner needs to go. Can't have an outfielder with that kind of speed who never steals bases. Even when he does get on base, which isn't has often as the Yankees would like. McCutchen will most likely not be back as the Yankees will look to allocate resources towards the other elephant in the room: Bryce Harper. Harper is less likely to sign with the Yankees than Machado. But he could easily slot into left field with Hicks in center and Judge in right. If the Yankees don't sign Harper, Ellsbury and Frazier are expected back fully healthy (we'll see about that) and look for them to share time in left. Other than that, I don't see any other free agent outfielders worth signing.

So there you go. Any of those scenarios could play out for the Yankees. At best, they end up with Harper and Machado and have a roster the likes of which haven't been seen in years. However, I can't imagine what that payroll number will be. The Yankees will have to be comfortable going over the luxury tax, after spending years trying to get under. At worst, the Yankees have a roster similar to last season. Another 100 wins is fine in my book. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has said that "he will leave no stone unturned" this off season. Does that mean big changes in the Bronx? Only time will tell.