The New York Yankees completed the biggest free-agent signing of the offseason, and their most important, as they retained MVP slugger Aaron Judge despite serious competition from the San Francisco Giants and a late-push of insane money from the San Diego Padres.
But with that deal now done, and the Yankees making a strong push for Giants lefty Carlos Rodon, it would appear that, following those deals, the Yanks' biggest moves were behind them and now they would be plugging in the rest of the pieces on smaller deals.
Then, ESPN's Buster Olney dropped this during an appearance on 95.7 The Game on Friday:
Yes, the Yankees having something big in the works, beyond what they have done already in regards to Judge and beyond a potential deal with Rodon, the Yankees have a major homerun swing incoming.
YES Network and Yankees play-by-play voice Michael Kay added the following, saying that the "big" thing the Yankees are working on is separate from the Rodon deal.
So, what could that be?
Let's take a look at some possibilities
Signing Carlos Correa
This seems to be the automatic conclusion that Yankees fans and analysts are coming to. Correa is the biggest free agent fish in the pond right now, and his excellent defense + his stellar hitting, particularly in the postseason, make him very attractive.
But, Correa isn't exactly a "need" for the Yankees, who opted against signing him last offseason to instead pull a trade for Josh Donaldson that proved to be an epic flop.
Not only are the Yankees afforded some depth on the in-field, and with promising prospects Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza waiting in the wings, Correa is an awkward fit.
The Yankees need for an outfielder, left handed bats, bullpen depth and another front line pitcher seem to take a higher priority.
Trading for Bryan Reynolds
The Yankees have been linked to Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds for quite some time, and despite Reynolds being a natural fit for the Yankees, and seemingly primed for some success in Yankees Stadium, the Yankees don't appear to be inclined to pay the big price the Pirates would want for Reynolds.
According to NJ.com's Brendan Kuty, the Yankees prefer working out a deal to bring back outfielder Andrew Benintendi as opposed to paying a steep price of prospects for Reynolds.
Add in the reports that the Pirates may not be very motivated to move Reynolds, and that all but eliminates the Reynolds/Yankees possibility this offseason
Trading for Fernando Tatis Jr.
Let's get a little wild here.
The Padres have signed Xander Bogaerts to a massive 11YR/$280M contract, are facing the possibility that Manny Machado chooses to opt out of his deal with 5YR/$160M left, and will need to address the contract situation of Juan Soto in the future, San Diego has a lot to consider.
Take into account that they team made big plays for both Aaron Judge and Trea Turner, who both signed elsewhere, and the Padres seem to be setting themselves up, with purpose, for financial hell moving forward.
It's also fair to note that things are not exactly all smiles and rainbows between the team and superstar Fernando Tatis Jr., following injuries, suspensions, and the drama between both sides that played out this season.
However, despite the loss of Tatis Jr., the Padres found success and made a legit playoff push that saw them knock out the Los Angeles Dodgers.
They can be a contender without Tatis Jr., and that may be all the motivation they need to trade him, along with the preference to free up some money to lock up Soto and work a new deal with Machado.
Enter the Yankees, who would be a perfect fit for Tatis Jr., and the New York market would skyrocket his star power and marketability.
Look at what Tatis has done from age 20-22, keeping in mind that he didn't play in 2022:
- Age 20 – .317/.379/.590. 154 OPS+, 22 HR, 16 SB, 4.2 WAR, 84 games
- Age 21 – .277/.366/.571. 156 OPS+, 17 HR, 11 SB, 2.8 WAR, 59 of 62 games
- Age 22 – .282/.364/.611. 166 OPS+, 42 HR, 25 SB, 6.6 WAR, 130 games
The Yankees could plug him into their lineup and take on what's left of his 14-year, $310 million contract.
While the Yankees may not want to dump their farm system or part with Volpe or Peraza in any deal, they can offer an enticing deal headlined by Giancarlo Stanton, former NL MVP, and including the likes of Josh Donaldson and prospects to entice San Diego.
Stanton would be a nice alternative for the Padres, who whiffed on Aaron Judge, and would return to the NL he wreaked havoc on as a member of the Miami Marlins.
We will have to wait and see what the "big" move the Yankees are working on, but it is being hyped as something that will shake the league up and be the talk of sports talk podcasts from around the world.
Let's hope we are not disappointed.
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