Looming over Yankees GM Brian Cashman's to-do list is baseball's labor issue
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman looks on during batting practice prior to the first inning against the Blue Jays June 16 in Buffalo. Credit: AP/Jeffrey T. Barnes
During his end-of-season news conference several weeks ago, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said he will be "open-minded to anything and everything" when it comes to his 2022 roster.
He has plenty to do when it comes to that, but as the general managers' meetings open Tuesday at the Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California, it would appear a longshot that much will get done at an annual gathering Cashman has long called "a necessary evil."
That is because the collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the Players Association will expire Dec. 1, at which point most in the game expect the owners to lock out the players, freezing all offseason activity until a new CBA is reached.
It's difficult to make moves when the rules going forward are unknown. Still, with members of every club’s front office and most of the big-time agents in the same place with ample time to get together, ideas will be shared and concepts broached.
At the very least, some groundwork can be laid in anticipation of the flurry of activity that is anticipated after a new CBA is established.
And the Yankees should be front and center in that regard. There is no shortage of needs as they try to reach the World Series for the first time since 2009.
The Yankees answered one pressing question last month when Aaron Boone, the manager since 2018, received a new three-year contract (with a club option for a fourth year).
There are plenty of questions regarding club needs for 2022, and Cashman didn’t dodge them when speaking about Boone last month.
He acknowledged the two-year experiment of playing Gleyber Torres at shortstop was a failure, saying, "I need to obviously upgrade that position from a defensive standpoint."
Though some saw that as a signal that the Yankees will go big-game hunting for some of the top shortstops on the market, such as Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Trevor Story or Marcus Semien, upgrading the position defensively could involve a far less expensive option such as Andrelton Simmons or exploring the trade market.
It is not yet known what kind of budget Hal Steinbrenner will give Cashman and how flexible the owner is when it comes to surpassing the luxury tax threshold (if there is one in the new CBA).
Catcher brings the usual offseason questions. Cashman has long been an enthusiastic Gary Sanchez supporter, though that support has waned somewhat the last couple of years.
"We’ll see," Cashman said of Sanchez being the 2022 starter.
The Yankees have a pair of catchers in their system, Austin Wells and Josh Breaux, who are highly regarded, but neither is considered on the doorstep of the majors. The free-agent market isn’t especially strong, and with quality catching depth an industry issue overall, the few teams that have it want to keep it.
First base is a concern. Anthony Rizzo, though never quite the same offensively after a bout with COVID-19, still was a clear defensive upgrade over the injury-prone Luke Voit. After acquiring Rizzo before the trade deadline, the Yankees tried to deal Voit, and he still could be moved this offseason. Rizzo could re-sign as a free agent.
DJ LeMahieu, a three-time Gold Glove winner at second, won’t play there regularly as Torres shifts back to the position. The Yankees could turn LeMahieu, who also can play third, into the full-time first baseman, but that is not their current preference.
There also are questions in the outfield, highlighted by centerfielder Aaron Hicks, whose durability has been a career-long obstacle. Hicks, 32, underwent season-ending surgery in May to repair a tendon sheath tear in his left wrist.
Cashman is a strong you-can-never-have-enough-starting-pitching proponent, so the Yankees also will explore that market.
It's a busy offseason to-do list to be sure, but given the uncertainty of the labor situation, the industry this week is less likely than usual to accomplish much.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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