Yankees have three preseason decisions to make.
Although the Yankees are off to a fast start, a few changes will maintain the positive momentum.
Less than two weeks into the new baseball season, it appears like everything that every baseball franchise always secretly dread is finally happening. The New York Yankees are back among the most formidable teams in Major League Baseball this season after having their worst season as a team since the Reagan administration.
Hardly seven months had passed since the Yankees’ 30-year winning season record was in jeopardy and they were considering firing every member of their braintrust. Although it’s simple to mock Yankee supporters for clinging to the good old days, their team’s consistent success is genuinely admirable.
However, the Yankees shouldn’t be content to rest on their laurels and wait for an American League title to arrive at their door because of how wonderfully the season has started off. For this squad, Jonathan Loaisiga’s injury that ended his season served as the first lesson that nothing in baseball goes exactly as planned. This club can and ought to make certain adjustments to position themselves for the remainder of the current campaign and beyond. Let’s discuss a few of those maneuvers:
Exchange for COL C Diaz Elias
Some fan bases who are in the camp that loves Austin Wells, Jose Trevino, or both may not agree with this. If there is one obvious flaw in this Yankees lineup, it is the offense that comes from catching. It’s dangerous to put all your money on Wells to start the job right now.
Now enter Elias Diaz, who made headlines by becoming one of the league’s most anonymous All-Star Game MVPs after hitting the game-winning home run in Seattle during the previous year’s Midsummer Classic. Although his performance declined in the second half, he has established himself as a reliable catcher who can also throw the ball well behind the plate.
If preliminary data is any guide, Trevino might not be a major league caliber hitter at this point in his career. The Yankees will be forced to recruit a catcher who can fill in if that proves to be the case over an extended period of time. If not the primary starter, Diaz would be a great match in a platoon alongside Wells.
Think back to RHP Clayton Beeter
Beeter began his minor league career as a starter but was quickly demoted back to AAA after only one inning in Houston. This gave him his first taste of life in the majors as a reliever.
Beeter, who is now 25 years old and stands 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, is the Yankees’ 14th-ranked prospect going into 2024. He has mid-90s heat and a powerful sweeper. With Loaisiga’s injury and Nick Burdi’s troubles, Beeter appeared ready for the major leagues during spring training, and he ought to be a fixture in the Yankee Stadium bullpen.
The Yankees are not insane; they understand that, come hell or high water, Beeter will play a role in their season. Though injuries might force him into the rotation, Aaron Boone himself stated on the Talkin’ Yanks podcast that he expects to be getting significant outs in the bullpen before midseason.
Oh, and the Yankees received Beeter back as a bonus when they sent Joey Gallo to the Dodgers during the 2022 trade deadline. Fans will adore Beeter for eternity if he can thrive and bring value to the Yankees following the widely reported difficulties Gallo faced in the Bronx.
Continue SS Anthony Volpe
The fact that Anthony Volpe, the Yankees’ 22-year-old sophomore shortstop, appears to have fully developed into a two-way star is the most significant development of their explosive first half of the season.
After finishing 2023 with an on-base percentage below.300, Volpe’s 2024 at-bats have been very different. He’s finding gaps even when he doesn’t square the ball up, displaying better balance with every swing, and seeing more pitches.
It is imperative that the Yankees sign Volpe to a team-friendly contract now that they are aware he will be their long-term mainstay at shortstop. The Yankees’ salary may resemble the budget for a Marvel movie with three $300 million players already on the roster and a fourth on the way if the organization decides to maintain Juan Soto, who will be on the payroll in five years.
Any deal that doesn’t have an average yearly worth of $20 million or less would be extremely beneficial to the Yankees’ payroll if Volpe develops into the player he appears more capable of becoming. Brian Cashman must do all of his efforts to ensure that an extension occurs this year if Volpe and his counsel are open to hearing about one.
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