Following Wednesday night’s game, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman met with reporters Thursday afternoon. He went over a few topics regarding how the front office will proceed.
Cashman acknowledged that the team has yet to speak with Juan Soto’s camp about a long-term extension (as reported by Chris Kirschner of the Athletic). The three-time All-Star is one year away from free agency and is expected to earn $33 million, according to MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz. Soto’s decision to test free agency appears to be all but certain. He turned down a $440 million offer from the Nationals in the summer of 2022 and would not sign for anything less now that he is a year away from the open market.
The general manager admitted that “it’s a possible short-term situation” with Soto. That didn’t stop the Yankees from going all-in on putting him in the lineup alongside Aaron Judge in 2024. They’ve added a trio of outfielders in Soto, Alex Verdugo, and Trent Grisham to help balance a lineup that struggled a lot when Judge was out. The 2022 AL MVP was sidelined from June 4 to July 28 after being injured in a collision with the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium.
Judge played regularly from the time he was reinstated until the end of the season. While there was little doubt about his health, Cashman confirmed Thursday that the toe problem is completely resolved (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com).
Soto’s comeback pitching was strong. Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez, and Double-A prospect Drew Thorpe were among those in the group led by Michael King. After parting with so much of their rotation depth to complete the trade, Cashman stated that the team will look to backfill on the pitching staff (as reported by The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty).
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the ultimate pitching target. Next week, the NPB ace will meet with MLB teams. The Yankees are one of several teams interested in the 25-year-old right-hander. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Yamamoto is the club’s top priority right now.
The rotation appears to be taking precedence over the bullpen. According to The Athletic, the Yankees are interested in free agent reliever Jordan Hicks. Feinsand, on the other hand, downplays the club’s desire for a notable bullpen strike. While confirming that the Yankees like Hicks, he indicates that a significant relief acquisition is more of a fallback option if Yamamoto signs elsewhere.
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