I'll get to pitching later, decided to stop after the field.
I think the biggest needs are:
1. Shortstop
2. Overall Speed on the Roster (I don't think they fix this much with 5+ guys who are locks to be back)
3. Middle Rotation Depth
4. Centerfield
Everything else is negligible
Catcher – Yeah, yeah, yeah. Gary yadda yadda. Just run it back with Gary & Higashioka. If I think of reasons why we didn’t have 100 wins, or didn’t make a run in the playoff, catcher isn’t remotely close to getting weight for it. You can say all you want about whether Gary is worth it. But the pitching staff had a top 5 season anyway. Doesn't make an argument for you or for me.
Yankees have some catchers they like in the minors, just reset it for next year, and see where you’re at for 2023. But Catcher is not remotely a need that they should worry about right now. In 2023, sure. But unless a team is willing to trade a guy you can slot at Catcher for a few years, it’s at best a lateral move.
Also the Free Agent pool for catching is not good at all. Making a change for the sake of making one isn’t a smart move here.
1B- I prefer Voit. When healthy, he’s on a different level of offensive production. But the writing is on the wall more than any other player on this team that he’s gone. Just give me some prospects here, due to him having a low value, it doesn't make sense to get bench players or fringe MLB players for him.
With Voit gone, which shrugs. Rizzo is the most likely. 3 years / $50mil (Jose Abreu salary comp, same age at time of deal, signed in 2020), probably a 4th year Buyout for $5mil.
2B – Gleyber let’s move on.
3B – DJ got re-signed to play every day. Gotta hope that the injury was the reason for the 2021 season going the way it did. But if it wasn’t the injury, and is a regression to the mean, DJ becomes one of the most damaging players to have on this team because he doesn’t have the pop for corner infield spots, he is well into his 30s, and if you move him to 2B every day it’s giving up on a guy that’s significantly younger.
That doesn’t mean we get rid of Gio. He can play 3B/SS/2B. No reason that we can’t get Gio in the mix, and get 5 guys over 4 positions 500 Plate Appearance throughout the season.
SS – If they don’t sign one of the names it’s a disaster because Gio isn’t an everyday SS, and Gleyber can’t be there. On the other hand, hard to see how they don’t sign someone with all the names out there.
Obviously Semien is the best years wise to not get tangled in a long term deal due to age. Allows the Yankees to then have Volpe & Peraza in mind in a couple of years. But almost 0% chance they go this way, even if it's the best idea.
Seager is probably the one guy they could transition easiest to 3B in a few years, and has a lefty bat. Concerns of staying healthy.
Story is the guy who fits the most of what the team needs when you factor in speed, but is almost 2 years older
Correa gives you hitting, steady fielding, and is a big time player that loves New York, and has a track record to show up in the playoffs. May have a tough time during slumps due to the scandal, but he’s the type of guy to handle it well. Also some injury concerns, but played 148 games this past season
So down to ranking Story, Correa, Seager (best to worst):
Cost Effective – Story, Seager, Correa
Hitting – Seager, Correa, Story
Speed – Story, Correa, Seager
Fielding –I’ll take Correa based on his arm. Correa, Story, Seager
Big Time – Correa, Seager, Story
Health – Story, Correa, Seager
I go with Correa. Just because I think he’ll handle being in NY the best. Big name, big game, and it’s the type of move that the Yankees would make as the Evil Empire.
Tyler Wade sticking around for another year, bring him in to pinch run.
Sanchez/Higashioka
Rizzo
Gleyber
Correa/Wade
DJ/Gio
Outfield-
First, NO BRETT GARDNER. Yankee legend, but it’s time. The second you sign him, you know he’s going to play over 100 games. You can’t do it. The regression is too much at this point.
LF – Gallo. I’m not too excited by it. But it is what it is. My only suggestion is he can’t bat anywhere from 2-5. If he’s slumping, it basically grinds the team to a screeching halt. Judge and Stanton will do their thing. But if Gallo is batting 5th, you are playing with fire due to his strikeout rate.
If Gleyber is batting after Judge and Stanton in the Wild Card game, I think there was a better chance for us. One of my biggest grinds my gears moments just due to how well Gleyber played when he moved to 2B, and how poorly Gallo had been playing.
CF – Welcome to the personal hell for me, and the Yankees. WHEN HEALTHY, Aaron Hicks is such a good fit, especially to bat leadoff. Switch hitter, will see a ton of pitches, will walk a ton, give you solid defense. Just an all around solid player. But injuries, and we're stuck with him for like 4 more years. Since Stanton won’t play the field much with Gallo here (Still think they should appease Stanton 1-2 a week in the field because he’s not a bad fielder), Hicks plays Centerfield.
But I have a twist, in the same way that we have 5 guys in the infield, I think we could definitely get 4 guys in the OF getting regular play, and still get Stanton 30-40 games in the OF to keep him fresh should there be a disaster.
We lost Locastro and Greg Allen, so there isn’t much in the minors that I’d be clamoring for in 2022. Maybe Florial, but he doesn't seem ready for playing every day.
There’s a guy with insane speed, good glove, and can buy low due to chronic injury, Byron Buxton. Yes he’s always injured. But Yankees need speed, and rather than having to go to the Free Agent market, you can get a guy on the last year of arbitration before he hits free agency. Yes he’s injury prone, and so is Hicks, but with the both of them, maybe we get 162 games
I'm willing for them do anything with CF. But I don't think they chase Marte, and Buxton is someone you can buy low on due to injuries and contract year. Also with signing a SS long term, and I expect Judge gets paid, I don't think this is the year they put too much into Centerfield.
RF- Give Judge his money now!
DH- Stanton
Projected Lineup:
1 - Hicks / Buxton - CF
2 - DJ - 3B
3 - Judge - RF
4 - Stanton - DH
5 - Correa - SS
6 - Rizzo - 1B
7 - Gleyber - 2B
8 - Gallo - LF
9 - Gary - C
Bench: Higashioka, Gio, Wade, Buxton/Hicks