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| New Blue Jays logo perhaps? |
I know every Marlins fan is still reeling from the trade that shipped out Josh Johnson, Mark Buerhle, Jose Reyes, Emilio Bonifacio, and John Buck. I also know every Blue Jays fan north and south of the border is now in celebration mode. This trade has to be looked at as a huge win for a team that seemed on the verge of making a move like this every year. Yes, it's a great time to be a Jays fan, a time when not only the front office gained speed, defense, offense, and pitching with a huge trade, but also shipped out disappointing and distracting shortstop Yunel Escobar. However, don't think this trade won't have other consequences. For starters, with the anticipated arrival of heralded Blue Jays catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud (Number 1 overall catching prospect in baseball) and the acquisition of former Blue Jay all-star John Buck, incumbent backstop J.P Arencibia looks to be on his way out of Toronto, which will yield at least one solid prospect or major league caliber player in return. The results of this mega-trade will be felt across all of Major League Baseball.
Let us consider what this trade has done to the New York Yankees. Now, Bombers fans do not be mistaken. This is not the Yankee dynasty leading up to the turn of the millennium, nor is it the team that won the World Series in 2009. This is a team that contends every year, but not in the way the immortal George Steinbrenner would have wanted. Frankly, while this Yankees team has been a winner for the past couple of seasons, this is not a championship-or-die team. In 2011, the Tigers simply overmatched them in the ALDS, and they could not hold a candle to the same team in this year's ALCS being swept in four games. Additionally, the ever-spending Yankees have a mandate courtesy of Hal Steinbrenner to bring their payroll under $189 million for the 2014 season in order to reset their luxury tax standing, taking away the surefire Yankee strategy of releasing a river of money and sticking their fishing nets in to find superstar players (which, interestingly, the Marlins tried and completely failed at).
From a big picture standpoint, this trade has added another contender to the division already noted as one of, if not the, strongest in baseball. The Blue Jays can now reasonably be projected to win somewhere between 85 and 90 games, a strong improvement over their 73-win total from last season. This trade intensifies certain concerns for the Yankees that were previously issues, but not exactly pressing.
The obvious concern for the Yankees this offseason is role in free agency. Right field is open, with Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson manning the other two outfield spots, though it is not yet known at which positions. Of the available players, top-tier players like Josh Hamilton and Michael Bourn are most likely not GM Brian Cashman's main targets. Nick Swisher's time in the Bronx is over, and to make matters worse, the Tigers signed a player the Yankees were rumored to covet, Torii Hunter, for 2 years/$26 million. Not only does this contract take an attractive Yankee target off the free agency board, it also sets the market for other possibilities. Ichiro will expect a large raise after performing impressively in his time in the Bronx, including in the postseason (his Game 2 ALDS slide is still electrifying). Since Hunter is off the market, and Gardner’s level of performance returning from Tommy John surgery is unknown, the team will look to bring back Ichiro and quite probably bring in a platoon player like Scott Hairston, Reed Johnson, or Jonny Gomes as insurance.
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| Perpetually slumping Russell Martin |
2012 starting catcher Russell Martin's 21 homers were great and unexpected, but his .211 average will not cut it in New York. However, the absolute scarcity of top-tier catchers will most likely force the Yankees to bring back Martin on a second-chance bid and hope he can finally perform like the player he showed flashes of becoming as a Dodger stud a few years ago. Although he will definitely require a raise, Eric Chavez seems worth bringing back as Alex Rodriguez's backup, especially for his performance against righties and his impressive glove. The closer’s job will go to Mariano Rivera, which brings no news to anyone, and Girardi should use the DH position again to rotate his aging stars.
Pitching is the final, but most important, position the Yankees are uncertain about. While the team has impact prospects in the minors, notably Dellin Betances and Manny Baneulos, these Baby Bombers will need at least one more year in the minors after being plagued by inconsistency and injuries. Additionally, Cashman has stated that he does not expect much-hyped righty Michael Pineda to contribute until at least June. The Yankees will need to dip into their pockets to do their best to keep Hiroki Kuroda, the second-best, 2012 Yankee pitcher. Also, look for them to add a second-tier starter, maybe (hopefully) along the lines of Anibal Sanchez or Edwin Jackson. They may even add two starters if an undecided Andy Pettitte decides to hang it up once and for all. While free agency was an obvious concern for a team that showed in the playoffs that it certainly has holes, it is now more imperative than ever for this Bombers team to add some kind of impact talent.
This blockbuster trade does nothing to the idea of trading the enigmatic Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees should feel no more pressure then they did previously to trade their 2013 starting third baseman. The prospect of trading him was ridiculous in the first place, there is no team in any sport that would take on his $114 million contract. No longer a superstar hitter, A-Rod is not worth his contract at this point, but as an overall player he still brings something to the table and is still a top-10 or top-15 third baseman in a league historically thin at the hot corner. That being said, Rodriguez will need to perform at a higher level and play more games in 2013 with another contender suddenly coming to power north of the border.
Every Yankee fan felt their stomachs drop when shortstop Derek Jeter sat writhing in pain during game one of the ALCS. This injury brought to a sharp end what was a complete Renaissance for the Yankee captain. His .316/.362/.429 line, 15 bombs, and 3.2 WAR were his best since 2009, and his performance completely confounded those who believed he was declining his way to retirement. But, the question is: can he repeat his great season? I would not expect his Batting Average on Balls in Play to stay at .347, but Jeter's low strikeout rate (12.2%) should allow him to not completely drop off a cliff. Now that Jose Reyes is back in Jeter's backyard, in the AL East instead of as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays, Jeter's claim as the best shortstop in his division will be challenged. This trade has only put more pressure on the Captain to carry his team and keep the ship headed in the right direction, but it also highlights the underperformance of other key players like Mark Teixeira.
Finally, the Yankees feature two key players who are in contract years. Curtis Granderson was acquired in a blockbuster of his own, and after an underwhelming first Yankee season in 2010, he has posted back-to-back 40-homer seasons. Robinson Cano has developed into an undisputed superstar and the best hitter on a team full of great ones, but his focus has at times been questioned, and the size of the contract he will demand remains to be seen. Expect the Yankees to take a hard line with Granderson but be much more compromising with Cano's negotiations. While playing in a contract year should pressure these two into some impressive years, it has become extremely important that these two be the offensive anchors for this team in 2013.
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| New US Citizen, Robinson Cano |
This Yankee team was widely criticized for its playoff performance, but its AL-best 95 wins should not be overlooked. However, this team will feel the new pressures of the AL East with the constantly improving Orioles, new look Jays, and pesky Rays posing many challenges. This team has a mandate to improve this offseason. Otherwise, the New York Yankees could be looking at the dreaded one-game Wild Card playoff or even watching the playoffs from home.
Written by Shane Gaer
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