Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives: The Yankees need starting pitching and with an eye toward remaining fiscally responsible, the trade market offers some strong opportunities, including Mariners left-hander James Paxton.

Here are the pros and cons of the Yanks trading for Paxton, what he might cost, and what the team should ultimately do...

What makes Paxton a better fit than others?

Reliever David Robertson said he has a "good relationship" with Yankees GM Brian Cashman and the front office, and Cashman reiterated the same to the New York Post's George A. King III.

But Robertson's role in determining the Yankees' postseason shares for coaches and trainers, according to King, could impact whether Robertson returns to New York again as he enters free agency.

Robertson, according to King, led a players-only meeting that determined assistant hitting coach P.J. Pilittere would receive half a postseason share, coaching analyst Zac Fieroh would not receive a postseason share and several other support staffers would not receive any shares.

The Yankees plan to add two starting pitchers and multiple bullpen pieces this offseason, and we could see action sooner than later.

Several agents and executives have privately expressed a belief that the free agent pitching market will move much faster than it did last season.

Mutual interest remains between the Yankees and Patrick Corbin. Keep your eye on that one, though both sides have other options. Our impression is that Corbin could sign somewhere before long. The Yanks and J.A. Happ are also still interested in a reunion...

Manny Machado has some explaining to do if he ever wants to end up in a Yankee uniform.

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner made it clear Wednesday that the star free agent would absolutely need to address his anti-"Johnny Hustle" comment before the team would ever consider signing him to a megadeal.

Asked by Newsday's David Lennon if that would be important, Steinbrenner responded: "Not important -- essential."

Dellin Betances is making his pitch for Manny Machado. 

The Yankees reliever told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com on Tuesday that he is hopeful the team signs the free agent slugger because he believes Machado would be a difference-maker. 

"I think he'll put us over the top," Betances said

Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani defeated Yankees infielders Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres for American League Rookie of the Year on Monday. 

Ohtani, 24, was signed by the Angels as the first true two-way player in the majors since Babe Ruth and he lived up to the hype. 

He finished with 22 home runs, 61 RBIs and a slashline of .285/.361/.564 while going 4-2 with a 3.31 ERA (3.57 FIP) and an 11 K/9 ratio in 10 starts.

John Harper, for SNY.tv | Twitter |

To the astonishment of just about everybody in Major League Baseball, Shohei Ohtani proved he was worthy of all the "Japanese Babe Ruth" hype, so it's hard to argue that he is not a deserving winner of the American League Rookie of the Year Award, as announced on Monday night.

But that shouldn't diminish Miguel Andujar's accomplishments in 2018. If anything, the historic nature of Ohtani's hitter/pitcher feats should only enhance appreciation for Andujar's rookie season.

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter | Industry sources say that the Seattle Mariners are "highly motivated" to trade ace James Paxton. The Yankees are among the teams interested in the lefty.

Despite Seattle's apparent intention to move Paxton, the asking price is expected to be relatively high, if not astronomical -- comparable to what Houston received last winter for Gerrit Cole: pitchers Joe Musgrove and Michael Feliz, top ten prospect Colin Moran and Top 20 prospect Jason Martin.

Roughly translated to the Yankees, that could mean retaining top young players like Miguel Andujar but having to further reduce high-end organizational depth. A free agent like Patrick Corbin or J.A. Happ, of course, will only cost money.

The Yankees have been seeking background information on free agent 3B/SS Manny Machado, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

New York has been monitoring the Machado situation, with SNY's Andy Martino reporting that a pursuit of Machado is more likely than a pursuit of free agent OF Bryce Harper. 

According to Martino, while the Yankees are not currently prepared to be overly aggressive when it comes to Machado, they're "ready to pounce" if his market doesn't get out of hand...

The Yankees are buying back the YES Network. 

According to Bloomberg, the Yankees intend to move forward with plans to buy back YES after it was sold to 21st Century Fox four years ago while the Yankees retained 20 percent of the network. 

GM Brian Cashman is looking to strengthen the Yankees' rotation, and free agent Dallas Keuchel has no problem envisioning himself in pinstripes in 2019 and beyond.

When Keuchel was asked during a recent interview on the Fox Business Network if it's true that he's talking to the Yankees, Keuchel wasn't hesitant about the potential "lure" of New York.

"I think everybody is in play right now," Keuchel said. "The lure of the city would be really cool. I like pitching in Yankee Stadium."

The Astros are among the teams talking to the Mariners about acquiring Yankees trade target James Paxton, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, who says the market is "active."

Rosenthal reported on Friday that the Yankees had spoken to the Mariners about acquiring Paxton.

The 30-year-old Paxton, who made $4.9 million in 2018 and is arbitration-eligible in 2019 (when he is projected to earn $9 million) and 2020, had a 3.76 ERA (3.24 FIP) and 1.09 WHIP with 208 strikeouts in a career-high 160.1 innings this past season. 

John Harper, for SNY.tv | Twitter |

So what are the chances the Yankees could interest the Dodgers in trading for Giancarlo Stanton as a way of clearing a path to sign either Bryce Harper or Manny Machado? 

Put it this way: they probably have a better shot of convincing Brodie Van Wagenen to send Jacob deGrom their way for some minor-league prospects. 

That may have been the case under any circumstances, but especially so after the Los Angeles Times on Thursday reported the Dodgers have sent documents to investors pledging to stay under Major League Baseball's luxury-tax threshold for the next four years.

On Baseball Night in New York, SNY's Jim Duquette discussed what he thinks it would take for the Yankees or Mets to acquire Cubs star Kris Bryant in a trade.

Another round of GM Meetings is in the books for Brian Cashman, and there were plenty of stories surrounding the Yankees that will continue to take shape before next month's Winter Meetings.

Here are the top storylines from the meetings in Carlsbad, CA..

Yankees C Gary Sanchez underwent successful shoulder surgery on Thursday at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. The surgery was performed by Yankees Head team Physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad. 

Yankees GM Brian Cashman told reporters on Wednesday that Sanchez has been trouble with his shoulder since 2017. He would receive cortisone shots to play through the injury, but he aggravated it more during training in Tampa this past week.

"We could've continued with the conservative treatment but we're going to go the other route and just stay ahead of it," Cashman said. "Down time is three month -- he'll be ready to go by Opening Day at the latest."

CARLSBAD, Calif. - Spend any time this week around Brian Cashman or the Yankee contingent at the GM meetings, which includes his front office advisors Jean Afterman, Tim Naehring, Jim Hendry and Reggie Jackson, and it's clear that their minds are far from the Bryce Harper or Manny Machado sweepstakes.

Sure, they're monitoring the rumors like everyone else, but they haven't mounted a pursuit of either player. The Yanks are very clearly focused on improving their pitching staff, from signing CC Sabathia to pursuing J.A. Happ, Patrick Corbin, Andrew Miller, Corey Kluber and many others.

But there is one clear pathway to Machado ultimately becoming a Yankee, and it flows through Philadelphia...

The Yankees and Mets have requested the medicals for free agent LH reliever Andrew Miller, reports SNY's Andy Martino.

In addition to the Mets and Yankees, many other teams have requested the medicals for Miller, who Martino suggests should be able to get a two-year deal. 

The 33-year-old Miller had a 4.24 ERA (3.51 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP with 45 strikeouts in 34 innings (37 games) this past season. It was the first year since 2013 where Miller's WHIP was above 1.00.

Amid the rumors that the Diamondbacks could deal first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, the Yankees are reportedly not showing significant interest in the six-time All-Star, according to Fancred Sports' Jon Heyman.

Arizona, Heyman reported on Tuesday, has been willing to listen to offers for players like Goldschmidt and pitcher Zack Greinke, however a rival executive told Heyman he believed a trade of Goldschmidt was "remote."

The 31-year-old Goldschmidt hit .290 with 33 home runs and 83 RBIs for the Diamondbacks last season. He has hit at least .290 with an OPS of at least .899 in each of the past six seasons with three top-three MVP finishes.

The Yankees will sign veteran catcher Ryan Lavarnway to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.

Lavarnway, 31, has appeared in just 12 MLB games in the past three seasons. With Triple-A Indianapolis last year, a Pirates affiliate, he hit .288 with nine home runs and 33 RBIs in 77 games.

Lavarnway has never appeared in more than 46 MLB games in a season. Since debuting in 2011, he has a lifetime .208/.268/.326 batting line with seven home runs and 43 RBIs in 146 games.

Yankees LHP CC Sabathia will play one final season in the major leagues, he said in a video posted on his Twitter page.

The veteran left-hander signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Yankees on Wednesday to return for a 19th season.

"This will be it," said the 38-year-old Sabathia, who won a World Series as a member of the Yankees' 2009 team.

Scott Boras sure knows how to sell his top free agent in OF Bryce Harper. 

Boras, MLB's top agent, took some time at the GM Meetings in Carlsbad, CA to speak to reporters about a variety of subjects from the state of the MLB to his very intriguing 25-year-old All-Star. 

Harper is in the prime of his career, and is expected to see a megadeal with a new team before the season begins. Boras explained why Harper's situation is so rare due to his status as a "generational player."

SNY's Andy Martino discusses the latest surrounding Bryce Harper and the Yankees -- including whether or not they would consider him if he plays a different position.

"The vibe that I'm catching is that has caught the Yankees' attention just a little bit"

Bryce Harper's willingness to move to first base has piqued the Yankees' interest, but @martinonyc still doesn't think he'll end up in New York pic.twitter.com/0CJ9SUfe36

- SportsNet New York (@SNYtv) November 7, 2018

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The Yankees might have re-signed CC Sabathia to hold down the back-end of their rotation, but the club has very clearly indicated they will vastly improve the starting rotation. Let's rank, in reverse order, the top six pitchers said to be on the Yankees' radar on the free agent and trade markets...

No. 6 - Nathan Eovaldi

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter | Both the Yankees and Mets have expressed interest in free agent reliever Andrew Miller, but he is not close to a deal with either team.

Coming off a down year caused by patellar tendinitis in his left knee, Miller is seeking a multi-year deal, according to major league sources. Interested teams are waiting to see if the medicals give them pause, and hope that an offseason of rest will restore Miller's health.

The Yankees like Miller because they know him, and considered him an especially good clubhouse presence during his first go-around with the team. They are also looking to maintain a dominant pen despite the potential departures of Zach Britton and David Robertson...

John Harper, for SNY.tv | Twitter |

Just because Scott Boras is making the case that Bryce Harper could solve the Yankees' first-base problem doesn't mean Brian Cashman should come running with an open checkbook. 

But at the very least it's an intriguing thought, one the team in the Bronx can't afford to dismiss. 

After all, can anyone say with certainty that Greg Bird will overcome his recent injury history and slumping ways at the plate to become the star slugger the Yankees once envisioned?

There's not a person in Boston who laments the Red Sox acquisition of Chris Sale from the White Sox in 2016.

But if you ask Brian Cashman, the general manager of a Yankees team that could've used Sale in the last two postseasons, he'll tell you he also has no regrets about passing on a trade for the lefty ace.

"Thank God I didn't do that, actually," Cashman said Tuesday at the GM meetings in California, per the New York Post. "You'd be missing some serious components of our major league club right now that are under control. We wouldn't have gotten anywhere if I did anything like that with the White Sox back then."

CC Sabathia is coming back for one more year. 

The Yankees and the veteran southpaw agreed to a one-year, $8 million deal, pending physical, SNY confirmed. 

Sabathia reportedly did not want to look around elsewhere this winter and wanted to work out a deal quickly with the Yankees to return for 2019, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post. 

Perhaps the Yankees won't break the bank this offseason. 

After managing to stay under the luxury tax in 2018, many expect the Yankees to go all in this offseason on free agent spending, but GM Brian Cashman would not go as far as saying that is the case. 

At the GM Meetings in California on Tuesday, Cashman said that the Yankees are still a "behemoth-type payroll" but it "would not be the preference" to exceed the luxury tax threshold in 2019. 

Andy Martino, SNY.tv | Twitter | CARLSBAD, Calif. -- The Yankees have already engaged in preliminary talks with free agent J.A. Happ's agent about a return, per major league sources, and there is definite mutual interest in a reunion. But it's early enough in the offseason that the sides are both weighing other options, too.

That is in keeping with the Yanks' primary goals this winter, which are to improve the starting rotation and make sure the bullpen remains strong. As SNY first reported, the team is not interested in Bryce Harper, and is lukewarm on Manny Machado. The latter is more likely to become a Yankee than the former, but both are less important to Brian Cashman than pitching.

In addition to Happ, who is 36 but in excellent shape and expecting to pitch for many more years, the Yankees are in the early stages of weighing several intriguing trade options. Both Cleveland and Seattle are prepared to deal high end pitchers like Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and James Paxton, and the Yankees are interested in all of them -- though the free agent market is a bit more appealing to them than a trade, because they have already traded away several top prospects...

With the Indians looking to shed payroll and the Mariners considering tearing things down completely, the Yankees have trade interest in starting pitchers Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, and James Paxton, reports Jon Heyman of FanCred, who says the Yankees are meeting with the Indians Tuesday at the GM meetings. 

"I'm interested in adding more than one pitcher," GM Brian Cashman said Monday. "I think I need to add multiples. If I can do so, we'll see. ... I'm not going to say who and when but we will make sure we check every box in terms of what's available and the cost associated with what's available in both marketplaces, free agency and trades," Cashman said.

Aside from Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees don't have any certainties in the rotation for 2019 and beyond...

The Yankees will need to find a replacement at shortstop while Didi Gregorius recovers from Tommy John surgery through at least the first half of the 2019 season.

Gleyber Torres may be the player to fill the void, but the second baseman's agent says Torres would be ready to take over full-time at shortstop if necessary.

"I think he would, wouldn't you?" Alan Nero said at the GM Meetings in California on Tuesday, per NJ.com's Brendan Kuty. "He just wants to play."

Japanese LHP Yusei Kikuchi, who the Yankees scouted in late-September, has been posted by the Seibu Lions. And he's now repped by super-agent Scott Boras.

In addition to the Yankees, the Giants, Red Sox, Dodgers, Phillies, Brewers, and Rangers were among the teams on hand to watch Kikuchi on Sept. 28, and he will soon be available to the highest bidder. 

Under the new posting rules that went into effect last offseason, Kikuchi will have 30 days to negotiate with all teams. If he agrees to a contract, a portion of it will go to his old Japanese team as their release fee. 

A Yankee player could be named American League Rookie of the Year for the second straight season ... if they can beat out Shohei Ohtani.

Third baseman Miguel Andujar and second baseman Gleyber Torres were both named finalists for the American League Rookie of the Year Award on Monday.

To say each of them had a successful rookie campaign would be an understatement.

The Yankees hope to re-sign CC Sabathia, aim to add multiple pitchers via trade or free agency and have received interest in Sonny Gray, GM Brian Cashman told reporters at GM Meetings on Monday.

"We need to reinforce our pitching, so we'll do the best we can with that," Cashman said, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "That seems to be a yearly effort."

The Yankees will enter the 2019 season with Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka as staples from last season's rotation and could also put top pitching prospect Justus Sheffield in the mix, but Cashman said he hopes the team will re-sign Sabathia, who has been with the Yankees since 2009.

The Mets will not be retaining hitting coach Pat Roessler for the 2019 season, SNY's Andy Martino confirmed. 

Roessler, 58, may not have to leave New York, though. 

The former Mets hitting coach is highly-respected within the Yankees organization, where he was director of player development from 2005-14.

Former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is getting another chance at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. 

The Today's Game Era ballot for the Class of 2019 was released on Monday and Steinbrenner appears on the ballot for the third consecutive season. 

Steinbrenner, who bought the Yankees in 1973 and presided over six World Series titles and 11 American League pennants, is the lone executive on the ballot and only non-living candidate. 

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives: The Yankees typically traverse the offseason like a wild cat laying in the weeds, readying to pounce on the move that fits into the organization's methodological game plan. With the GM Meetings set to begin Monday, what might be areas where the Yankees concentrate their efforts?

This offseason likely won't be any different than the past, although the cat might take some early morsels before devouring the bulk of its prey. The Yankees established their priorities immediately after their ouster from the playoffs -- again a consistent part of the overall strategy.

Make space

The GM Meetings begin Monday in Carlsbad, CA, and continue through Nov. 7. 

Typically, during the day, GMs and their staff spend more time discussing business about the game.

However, in addition to conferences and meetings about league issues, the GM Meetings are used for teams to meet, talk about agendas, player values, offseason plans and learn who plans to do what and who may be available as everyone looks to improve their position through the offseason...

Yankees No. 2 prospect Estevan Florial hit a triple in the third inning of the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game on Saturday.

Florial hit ninth and started in right field. He walked in his second plate appearance before he was replaced.

Florial played primarily with Single-A Tampa this past season, along with nine games in the Gulf Coast League. He played in 84 games, hitting .283 with six home runs, 35 RBI, 19 doubles, four triples, and 16 stolen bases.

The Cleveland Indians absolutely ran away with the AL Central title this season. But, as they enter the offseason, they are willing to trade some of their valuable assets. 

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, the only players that appear safe at the moment are SS Francisco Lindor and 3B/1B Jose Ramirez. So, players like RHP Corey Kluber and RHP Carlos Carrasco among others will be open for business during the Winter Meetings. 

For the Yankees, an ace is exactly what they are looking for with Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka not proving they can be that consistent starter. Kluber is a two-time Cy Young Award winner, and those type of pitchers rarely get shopped around. 

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives

The stars, literally and figuratively, have lined up for the Yankees to make a splash this winter.

The burden of heavy league taxes has been removed and a robust free-agent market is before them. The Yankees worked for years to diminish payroll expenditures with an eye toward the 2019 season.

John Harper, for SNY.tv | Twitter |

It would be incorrect to call the idea of the Yankees trading for Madison Bumgarner a pipe dream, considering the state of disrepair that currently defines the San Francisco Giants.

In fact, the immediate future of their organization is so bleak that team president, Larry Baer, has declared the need for new direction, starting with the ongoing search for a young, analytically savvy GM who can modernize the old-school front office. 

And given the Giants' lack of young talent at the major or minor league level, coming off back-to-back horrendous seasons, it's not unreasonable to think the new GM would consider trading Bumgarner as a way of jump-starting a major rebuild.

Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner is still reeling over his team's loss to the Red Sox in this year's divisonal series. 

I mean, how could he not? The Red Sox are not only the Yankees' most hated rival, but it was in their own ballpark to make matters worse. It is why Steinbrenner told The Post's Joel Sherman the 3-1 series loss "certainly pisses me off. I never want a divsion rival to outdo us."

"I have no love for the Red Sox on the field or in the division," Steinbrenner added. 

Yankees LHP Justus Sheffield was ranked the top prospect in the organization while outfielder Estevan Florial was ranked second, according to Baseball America.

Baseball America ranked RHP Jonathan Loaisiga third, outfielder Everson Pereira fourth and catcher Anthony Seigler fifth.

Outfielder Antonio Cabello (eighth) and RHPs Mike King (sixth), Deivi Garcia (seventh), Roansy Contreras (eighth) and Albert Abreu (10th) rounded out the top 10.

The Yankees have nine arbitration-eligible players this offseason. Six of them are locks to be offered arbitration, and three of them have a more uncertain Yankees future.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, here's what they're projected to make if offered arbitration, and what the rest of their contract situation is. We'll first tackle the locks to be offered arbitration, followed by the question marks...

Locks

Before he was officially captain of the Yankees, Derek Jeter became Mr. November.

Seventeen years ago on this date, Jeter lifted the Yankees with a walk-off home run off Arizona Diamondbacks closer Byung-Hyun Kim in the 10th inning of Game 4 of the World Series.

The Yankees had until midnight on Wednesday to decide whether or not to pick up veteran OF Brett Gardner's option for 2019. And after declining the option, the team announced they reached a new one-year deal to keep him in pinstripes once again next season.

According to MLB.com's Marc Feinsand, Gardner will earn $7.5 million next season. The $2 million buyout that was part of his contract will be reflected on the Yankees' 2018 payroll, which doesn't affect their status of staying under the luxury tax threshold.

The 35-year Gardner hit .236/.322/.368 with 12 homers, 20 doubles, and seven triples in 140 games (530 at-bats) in 2018, though he continued to be a positive in the field as he was worth 10 DRS (defensive runs saved) in 1,185 innings in the outfield.

Chris Carelli, SNY.TV Facebook | Twitter | About Me | Archives: The Yankees invested heavily in creating a "super bullpen" for the 2018 season and the results were mixed. With two elite relievers -- David Robertson and Zach Britton -- heading to the free agent market, how will the Yankees seek to create a lockdown endgame relief crew for 2019?

Foundation remains

The Yankees will return three of their five high-leverage relievers from 2018 to 2019, with Dellin Betances and Chad Green set to once again bridge the gap to closer Aroldis Chapman...