2019 Yankees

This would be my iteration of the 2019 Yankees. I have taken a little different route than other articles I've read on this topic. Many of them focus completely on homegrown stars. Many of them dream solely of signing countless players from 2019's monster free agent class (Machado, Harper, Donaldson, etc). I've assembled a realistic Yankees roster using free agents, trades, the farm system, and current Yankees. Without further ado, here are your 2019 World Series Champion Yankees:

**The parentheses for each player include age in 2019 followed by projected salary**

Lineup

1. Clint Frazier LF (24,

2. Aaron Hicks CF (29, 3rd Arbitration Year; Guestimation: $6 mil)

3. Aaron Judge RF (27,

4. Greg Bird 1B (26, 1st Arb Year; Guestimation: $2 mil)

5. Gary Sanchez C (26,

6. Daniel Murphy/Kyle Schwarber DH (Murphy: 34, $21 mil; Schwarber: 26, 1st Arb Year; Guestimation: $4 mill)

7. Didi Gregorius SS (29, 4th Arb Year: $10 mil)

8. Gleyber Torres 2B (22,

9. Anthony Rendon 3B (29, 4th Arb Year; Guestimation: $11 mil)

Bench

C Austin Romine (30, 3rd Arb Year; Guesstimation: $1 mil)

UTIL Tyler Wade (24,

OF Jorge Mateo (24,

1B/3B/DH Mark Reynolds (35, $4 million)

Rotation

1.RHP Luis Severino (25, 1st Arb Year, Guestimation: $4 mil)

2.LHP Dallas Keuchel (31, $31 mil)

3.RHP Masahiro Tanaka (30, $22 mil)

4.LHP Jordan Montgomery (26,

5.RHP Jeff Samardzija (34, $18 mil)

Up-and-Comers

-RHP James Kaprelian (25)

-RHP Chance Adams (24)

-LHP Justus Sheffield (23)

Bullpen

CL: LHP Aroldis Chapman (31, $15 mil)

-RHP Chad Green (28,

-RHP Dellin Betances (31, 3rd Arb Year; Guestimation: $8 mil)

-LHP Jake Diekman (32, $7 mil)

-RHP Ben Heller (27,

-RHP Adam Warren (31, $5 mil)

-Scranton Shuttle: (<30,

-RHP Domingo Acevedo

-RHP Giovanny Gallegos

-RHP Ronald Herrera

-A lot more

Signings, Trades, and Moves to Obtain This Roster

1.) Get an impactful lefty to DH

A.) Either sign Daniel Murphy for 3 yr, $65 mil

OR

B.) Trade for Kyle Schwarber for LHP Justus Sheffield, OF Dustin Fowler, RHP Nick Green, OF Isiah Gilliam

2.) Throw a ton of money at Dallas Keuchel to get a bonafide ace to partner with Severino at the top of the rotation. Probably 5 year,$155 mil or 7 year, $168 mil

3.) Trade for Anthony Rendon for RHP Matt Sauer, OFJake Cave, RHP Yefry Ramirez and 1B/3B Dante Bichette

4.) Acquire RHP Jeff Samardzija to be a back-of-the-rotation workhorse while shedding Ellsbury.

OF Jacoby Ellsbury, 3B Miguel Andujar, and cash should be plenty.

5.) Get an established lefty for the bullpen, such as Jake Diekman, Sean Doolittle, Jerry Blevins or countless others. 3 years, $21 mil

6.)Sign Mark Reynolds or another 1B/DH type that can spell Bird or Murphy/Schwarber versus tough lefties. 1 year, $4 mil or 2 years, $8 mil

7.) Resign Adam Warren to be the long reliever out of the pen. 3 years, $ 16 mil

The Samardzija and Schwarber moves can and probably should be done this offseason, not the next. That reason, plus the fact that the Cubs and Giants want to contend in 2018, makes these moves unlikely this offseason. But these are also the least necessary/pressing trades. We could simply sign Murphy before the 2019 season instead of trading for Schwarber. And by 2019, one of Kaprelian, Adams, and Sheffield should be ready to deal in the big leagues. So if you told me no Schwarber and no Samardzija, I wouldn't be upset. Maybe a little about Schwarber because of his swing and the short porch. Maybe a little about Samardzija because we're not trading Ellsbury. Upon second thought, I take that back.

This roster doesn't include Sonny Gray, who we are rumored to be close to acquiring. We'll see if that's true and if the trade actually goes through. If it does, we could just not sign Keuchel because we would have Gray and use the money to extend Gray, sign Murphy, or extend other Yankees. Or if we wanted a super rotation, we could still sign Keuchel, not trade for Samardzija, and use the money saved to give Ellsbury away while paying most of his contract.

Finances

All Pre-Arbitration Players: $6 million

Rest of Lineup: $33 million

Rest of Bench: $5 million

Rest of Rotation: $75 million

Rest of Bullpen: $35 million

Murphy instead of Schwarber: $17 mil

Other 40-man roster players, any trade deadline acquisitions, and dead money for players not on roster: $15 million

$14 million cushion for My bad contract estimates (and to get a round number)

Total:$200 million

Projected 2019 Salary Cap: $206 million

We would be a non-luxury tax team with room to spare. Awesome!

Arbitration Justifications

-Luis Severino: $4 mil

Similar pitchers in 1st Arb Year: Matt Harvey ($4.35 mil), Marcus Stroman ($3.4 mil), Stephen Strasburg ($4 mil)

-Aaron Hicks: $6 mil

Similar OFs in 3rd Arb Year: Lorenzo Cain ($6.5 mil), Adam Jones ($6.15 mil), Curtis Granderson ($5.5 mil)

-Greg Bird: $2 mil

Similar 1B in 1st Arb Year: Eric Hosmer ($3.6 mil), Wil Myers ($2 mil), Lucas Duda ($1.65 mil)

-Kyle Schwarber: $4 mil

Similar OF/DH in 1st Arb Year: Adam Dunn ($4.6 mil), Mark Trumbo ($4.8 mil), Kendrys Morales ($3 mil)

-Didi Gregorius: $10 mil

Similar SS in last Arb Year: Andrelton Simmons ($8 mil), Troy Tulowitzki ($8.25 mil), Jose Reyes ($9 mil)

-Anthony Rendon: $11 mil

Similar 3B in last Arb Year: Martin Prado ($11 mil), Matt Carpenter ($9.75 mil), Todd Frazier ($12 mil)

-Austin Romine: $1 mil

He's a backup catcher who made 800k this year. It'll go up a little bit but not by much.

-Dellin Betances: $8 mil

Similar RP in last Arb Year: Mark Melancon ($9.5 mil), Joel Hanrahan ($7 mil), Kenley Jansen ($10.65)

Explanations

**This section is pretty long so read as much as you'd like. Scroll down to skip to notable players who are not on this roster**

Lineup

1.) LF Clint Frazier:

Clint Frazier might be a surprise to many in the leadoff spot. However, with the lack of a traditional leadoff man on this team, he seems like a decent option. In his short 2017 audition, Clint has shown the ability to spark rallies and energize this team, and that skill will play up in the leadoff spot. Additionally, I think he will learn how to get on base enough in 2018 to justify this place at the top of a powerful, deep lineup.

2.) CF Aaron Hicks

I am a believer in Hicks. Although he has no track record and is currently on the DL, his break-out seems legitimate. His peripherals are outstanding, seemingly backed by a whole new approach at the plate. He is much more patient, which has led to an OBP of .398 which is pretty darn good. I still need to see more of him this year and next to be sure of his break-out but, for now, I have bought in. Because of his on-base prowess and his success in this role earlier this year, Hicks should be a good 2-hitter.

3.) RF Aaron Judge

No changes here. Our favorite, lovable Giant is entrenched in this spot for years to come. He is striking out more, which is what we should come to expect. But, he should be an anchor to this potent offense. The only question in this spot is how many homers Judge will hit.

4.) 1B Greg Bird

As evidenced by his place in this lineup, I am a big Greg Bird fan. Despite missing nearly two full years with shoulder and ankle injuries, Greg Bird can still be a force in his lineup. His calm, patient approach coupled with his sweet, lefty swing is perfect for this lefty power deprived team and our short porched ballpark. As Cashman stated, Bird is still our first baseman of the future. I firmly believe that Bird will showcase his talents in 2018, and demonstrate that he belongs in the thick of this deep Yankee lineup in 2019.

5.) C Gary Sanchez

Gary is obviously our catcher for the foreseeable future and he will be better than ever in 2019. I have him hitting in the 5 hole for a reason though. I don't think putting Sanchez in the 2 hole as Girardi has done is the best thing for him; he is more of an RBI guy. So in the 5 hole, the guys in front of him - Hicks, Judge, Bird - all have approaches to hitting that lend to lots of walks and lots of singles. They are not all or nothing guys. El Gary will easily knock them in as long as Judge and Bird don't bring them in first. I can see Sanchez reaching 120 RBIs in this lineup.

6.) DH Daniel Murphy/Kyle Schwarber

Either of these guys would be awesome in a Yankees uniform. Interestingly, Murphy and Schwarber have had opposite career trajectories. Murphy started his career with several mediocre years before turning it on the past couple years. Meanwhile, Schwarber started off his career with a bang, but has significantly cooled off this year. Choosing one is tough. I like Murphy because I think he is the better overall hitter and he wouldn't cost prospects. I like Schwarber because he would be way cheaper, and, at age 24 (right now), he fits the trajectory of this Yankees team much better. If I had to choose one, it would be Schwarber because of that majestic, powerful stroke, and I can envision him having a much longer career in pinstripes. Either way, it's good to add more lefty power to this Yankee team.

7.) SS Didi Gregorius

Man this guy is good. Sorry Andrelton Simmons but, Sir Didi is the best defensive shortstop in baseball, just look at his MLB-best .993 fielding percentage among shortstops. Despite missing a month, Didi has 16 homers while hitting over .300. The only reason why he's not hitting higher is because he doesn't walk enough. You could only definitively tell me that Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, and Corey Seager are better shortstops than Sir Didi. This man is really good and he's only getting better. Gleyber will have to move somewhere else if he wants to play in the Bronx. Speaking of a certain Top 3 prospect in Baseball...

8.) 2B Gleyber Torres

Despite Tommy John Surgery, I think everyone agrees that Gleyber will be in the majors by 2019 but the question is where will he play. If you haven't noticed, I have him playing second. Why isn't he playing third, you may ask? I don't think he profiles as a third baseman. While Gleyber can really hit, he's not supposed to be a prodigious power hitter. Third base is supposed to be a position that delivers power. His bat-on-ball skills are better suited for second base. Plus, Gleyber is more comfortable defensively up the middle. I believe he could ultimately handle 3rd but he would be better at second in my opinion. I'll address Starlin Castro later. He hits 8th because he's not proven yet.

9.) 3B Anthony Rendon

He may be the most underrated player in the league. He has quietly been exceptional for the Nationals. He leads all third baseman in WAR, is second in OPS, has more walks than strikeouts, and has been a top 5 defensive third baseman. Crazy production. And he's hitting 9th in this order!!! That's because I don't expect him to be quite this good again and I'm not quite sure where he fits within this team. But you could put him in almost any other place in this lineup and I wouldn't complain. 2019 is the last year of his contract. That is one reason why I think Cashman could acquire him from Washington. They could lose him the next year. Another reason is that I think the Nationals would have to rebuild that offseason. Their window to win is 2017-2018. After that, Murphy and Harper will probably leave. Zimmerman will be too old to be productive. Strasburg is always injured. Basically they're going to have Trea Turner, Max Scherzer and not much else. They could use Rendon and others to replenish the system and rebuild around Turner and Scherzer. Wow, this is a scary deep lineup.

Bench

Backup C: Austin Romine

He under contract through 2019 so he'll probably be the backup until then, which is perfectly fine by me. He could get traded in order to start a la Francisco Cervelli but he's not THAT good, right? We could always get a backup catcher. I'm not too worried about this spot because of El Gary.

Backup OF: Jorge Mateo

This might surprise some people. What about Ellsbury, Fowler, Cave or others that are seemingly ahead of him developmentally? Simply put, they're not as talented as Mateo. Mateo has blazing speed that would play in the majors right now. That alone will make him a decent outfielder, and scouts even say he has better than expected instincts in the outfield. In addition, not many people know he has great bat speed that can propel him to the majors. I don't think he will be a star; that's why he's on the bench. While he wouldn't be fully polished defensively by 2019, his speed off the bench would be a big variable for this team. (Think Jarrod Dyson during Royals 2015 WS Run)

Power Role Player: Mark Reynolds

I'm not locked into Reynolds for this role by any means, but a player of this archetype would be perfect: Righty 1B/DH type who could play third in an emergency. He would be used as a lefty-killer, replacing Bird or the DH against tough southpaws. Meanwhile, Reynolds has been better than his usual self this year. Realistically, he should be back to being a role player by 2019. Other options for this role include Steve Pearce, Tyler Austin, and Garrett Cooper.

Backup INF/UTIL: Tyler Wade

I really like Tyler Wade. I think he could be a dangerous bench piece. In my perfect world, Wade still plays a pretty regular role, playing, say, 4 days a week. He could spell Gleyber one day, Didi the next, then Rendon, then even Judge. Get creative with this kid. He has the potential to not only play everywhere but also to play everywhere well. If his offense develops even just a little bit by 2019, Wade could find himself being the Yankees' new and improved version of Ben Zobrist.

Rotation

1.) RHP Luis Severino

In 2017, Severino is realizing his ace potential he flashed back in 2015. His secondary pitches - the slider and changeup - have developed really nicely this year to go along with the quickest fastball among starters. He's dominating and there's no reason to think he'll stop now. Oh wait, it happened in 2016. Shh Shh. He's an ace. He's our homegrown ace, don't ruin it.

2.) LHP Dallas Keuchel

An ace on virtually any other team, Keuchel would be quite the addition for the Yankees. He has a Cy Young award and was looking like the Cy Young this year before he got injured. Plus, he will probably age decently because he is not a power pitcher; he is more of a finesse guy. We would have to throw gobs of money at him (5 yr, $155 mill?) or give him 7 yrs for him to leave Houston but it could be a league-altering move. With the Astros, Red Sox and us looking like the long-term contenders in the AL, stealing Houston's ace could be clear up the pennant race and lead to perennial WS contention.

3.) RHP Masahiro Tanaka

This year has been troubling for Tanaka. He is struggling in a big way and no one knows why. Yeah he's giving up home runs, but why? It's been a guessing game all year, but there have been encouraging signs. He's outdueled Chris Sale (probably the AL Cy Young) twice. His fastball velocity and slider/splitter spin rates are the same or better than his career numbers. As a result, I think he will rebound in 2018 and 2019. Sometimes pitchers have bad years. It happened to Keuchel last year and this year he's back to being a top starter. Tanaka may not ever be an absolute ace again, especially with his elbow, but I think we will look at his down year in 2017 as a blessing in disguise because Tanaka probably won't exercise his opt-out.

4.) LHP Jordan Montgomery

If it wasn't for Judge, Monty would be right there in the Rookie of the Year race. He's having a pretty damn good year, especially for a rookie. He is a perfect back-end starter because he has a special skill. No matter the game scenario, he almost always keeps the Yankees in the game. Aside from his recent start in Minnesota where he gave up 6 runs, he has given the Yankees a chance to win in EVERY start this year, no exaggeration. That's pretty remarkable. That skill, along with providing innings, is exactly what you could ask for from your back-end starters. Monty is the definition of a perfect 4th starter.

5.) RHP Jeff Samardzija

Remember my definition of the perfect back-end starter? Innings and Game Winnability? Samardzija is the gold standard for the innings part. He is on pace to finish this year with 200+ innings for the 5th straight year. That's nearly unparalleled durability in today's game. Game Winnability is where there could be a small problem. Samardzija is considered a fly-ball pitcher, which is not a good fit for a small ballpark like Yankee Stadium. That could make him homer prone which means games getting out of hand, hence less games being realistically winnable. However, Samardzija is striking out more batters this year and walking less, with an MLB-best strikeout-to-walk ratio. If Shark can continue his bat-missing ways, he would be a fine, though expensive 5th starter.

Backup/Up-and-Coming Starters

1.) Chance Adams

If there is an injury (probably to Tanaka or Keuchel), I believe Adams should and would get the first crack at filling the hole in the rotation. He'll probably be the most major league ready by 2019, especially if he gains big league experience this year and in 2018. He's flown through the minors this year and I think the Yankees have done the right thing by not bringing him up immediately. He has intriguing stuff and a reliever's control which makes me want to see if he can succeed at the highest level.

2.) James Kaprelian

The UCLA product is a big question mark. He had elbow issues before undergoing Tommy John earlier this year. The way I look at it is that most pitchers have a significant injury during their career; Kaprelian's just came early. Kaprelian has legitimate top-of-the-rotation stuff and a repeatable delivery. He could probably pitch in Triple-A for his first start after Tommy John and hold his own. He's that talented. Even with the big elbow red flag, I think Kaprelian could be a rotation option as early as 2019.

3.) Justus Sheffield

The last in this trio of highly regarded prospects is last for a couple reasons. One: He doesn't have the huge upside of Adams or Kap due to his height. He is short and profiles as a mid- or back-end rotation type starter. Two: He might be traded. There are current rumors about the A's wanting Sheffield in a return for Sonny Gray and (hint hint) one of my trade proposals includes Sheffield. The disparity between his current prospect hype and his realistic ceiling make him a candidate to be traded. Despite all that, the Double-A ace should be ready to at least spot start in 2019.

Bullpen

-Closer: LHP Aroldis Chapman

Let's just say that I hope we're not regretting giving him $86 million in year 3 of the deal. He needs to be the flamethrowing, shutdown closer we paid him to be.

-8th Inning/Set-up Man: RHP Chad Green

By 2019, I think Chad Green will take over the eighth inning job from Betances. Chad Green has looked dominant recently and will only get better. This might be bold but Chad Green could be the Mariano Rivera (the shutdown reliever; I'm not saying he will be Mo) in the new Core Four that Yankee promoters are trying to create.

-7th Inning/Set-Up Man: RHP Dellin Betances

Despite his recent hiccups, the New York native is still a shutdown reliever. And despite Chad Green jumping him, Betances is still better than what most teams have in the seventh inning.

-Lefty: Jake Diekman

With no current proven lefties (other than Chapman) and no emerging lefties from the system, we have to go out and get a lefty. I chose Diekman because he won't be too old in 2019 and I am a fan of him. But it could be anyone else, I don't really care. Sean Doolittle, Jerry Blevins, Zachary Britton and more are free agents in 2019.

-Long Relief: RHP Adam Warren

Ol' Reliable Adam Warren is actually a free agent in 2019. Usually relievers that hit free agency don't sign with their incumbent teams; they chase the money (Examples: David Robertson and Boone Logan). However, I believe Warren is an exception. I think his experience in Chicago strangely showed us that he may only be good in New York. It may sound weird but look at the evidence. As soon as he went to Chicago he sucked and as soon as he came back, he pitched well. New York is his home and I think he would give us a hometown discount in free agency.

-Middle Relief: RHP Ben Heller

I am of the belief that one of our fringe major league arms will take a step forward next year just like Chad Green did this year. I chose Ben Heller because I like his stuff but, frankly, it can be anyone and I would be happy. This could end up being Heller, Holder, Cessa, Acevedo, Smith, Gallegos, Mitchell, Rumbelow or German.

-Last spot: Scranton Shuttle

We are familiar with the Shuttle. Girardi always likes to have a fresh arm in the pen so he uses multiple young guys to achieve that goal. The riders of the shuttle will probably include all those listed in the previous slot plus more I haven't foreseen yet. Assuming the Yankees are going to make a deep postseason run in 2019, they probably deal for a reliever at the trade deadline and give that person this spot in the pen.

Notable Missing Players

1.) 2B Starlin Castro

He has produced well this year and is under contract through 2019. You may be asking what gives? On the surface, this year seems great but there are underlying signs that his breakthrough won't continue in 2018 and beyond. First, his hamstring injury is a sign that he's breaking down after a heavy-usage first half. Second, his bad habits have returned as the year has gone on. At the beginning of the year, Castro's success was fueled by simply swinging at less pitches out of the zone, much like Aaron Hicks. But he's swinging at more pitches out of the zone and reverting to his 2016 more and more as the season progresses. His "breakout" seems to me like adjustments he made during spring training that he can't sustain over a full season. That's why he's the odd man out to me.

2.) OF Jacoby Ellsbury

While everyone hopes he's gone by 2019, it will be hard. It's necessary though. We have too many outfielders that are better than him. In order to rid ourselves of that contract, we probably have to package him with a decent to good prospect and take on another big contract. Hence, Andujar and Ellsbury for Samardzija makes sense. Ellsbury is out and no one will miss him.

3.) RHP Tommy Kahnle

He was the most valuable addition in our recent trade with the White Sox because he is signed through 2020. So where is he? I think at the 2018 trade deadline or the following offseason, we trade Kahnle. We will be fine without him, especially with Chapman, Betances, Green, Warren, and a lefty. With 2 or 2 and 1/2 years of control left and a cheap contract, he could bring in a massive Andrew Miller-esque prospect haul. By 2019, we will need to replenish our system because most of our top prospects will have graduated or be traded.

4.) OF Dustin Fowler

Some people think this guy could be out center fielder of the future. I also think that the Yankees calling him up before Clint Frazier says a lot about him. However, not every prospect will succeed. I think Fowler will be one of the ones who doesn't pan out. He just suffered a very serious knee injury, and people just assume he can return to his previous self. He doesn't do any one particularly great, though his defense is good. His limited offensive ceiling along with that injury will prevent him from being a Bronx regular. I think he turns out a lot like Mason Williams. A former top prospect who is now a fringe roster guy who could probably make a decent 4th outfielder elsewhere due to defense and contact hitting.

5.) 3B Miguel Andujar

I see Fowler's and Andujar's situations differently. While I think Fowler will fail, I think Andujar will be traded. After all, you can't keep every prospect. There's simply not enough room. I think he's the perfect guy to trade along with Ellsbury to send him packing. I also think Andujar is the perfect successor to Eduardo Nunez at 3rd in San Francisco. That's the logic behind the Samardzija package. I do believe that Andujar will be a decent pro because he is a good hitter. His defense will hold him back, so I would liken him to Maikel Franco or Alex Bregman.

6.) Tyler Austin

I think Austin could be that Power Role Player that Mark Reynolds is. The key word there is "could". Due to injury and overall unspectacular numbers, he just doesn't inspire much confidence.

7.) Ronald Torreyes

How could I forget out lovable midget Toe? I honestly had to think really hard about leaving Toe off this roster. He has done nothing but be the perfect backup infielder. He filled in admirably for Didi in April, has gotten lots of clutch hits, and plays good defense in multiple positions. He's also a clubhouse darling and glue guy. In my opinion, he's played a little too much this year, but I still love him. He was just the odd man out. I just think Tyler Wade with his versatility and developing bat and all, will eventually displace Toe as the utilityman. If there was a way to keep both, I would (*cough* Rob Manfred *cough* expand the roster *cough*).

8.) CC Sabathia, Matt Holiday, David Robertson, Brett Gardner, Todd Frazier, Chase Headley, Michael Pineda

This is a list of people on the team this year who are free agents after either this year or next year. I just don't see them sticking around for 2019. I can certainly see CC Sabathia resigning for next year and maybe Matt Holiday. But by 2019, all these guys will probably be in decline.

9.)Bryce Harper/Manny Machado

These two are the big fish in the 2019 free agent class. Everyone assumes the Yankees will sign one of them, and with good reason. We have deep pockets and both will be 26, just entering their primes. But they will command massive deals. I think that our money would be better spent otherwise. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have Harper or Machado. In my opinion, the money would be better spent going towards pitching for a few reasons. One, our outfield appears to be set so Harper isn't needed. If anything, we have too many outfielders. Two, Machado has shown this year that he isn't the slam dunk star he is being evaluated as. Also remember he has been seriously injured multiple times. Three, we have a much bigger need for pitching. As the saying goes: you can never have enough pitching. Signing Keuchel, taking on Samardzija's contract, signing a lefty and resigning Adam Warren would boost this staff while being smarter with money. Heck, Harper would cost almost as much as those guys combined. The Cubs recipe of building a young core of position players and then supplementing them with solid pitching free agents is a good one that led to a ring. We are on that path and should follow the yellow brick road to championships.

10.) Joe Girardi

I fooled you because I said "missing players", right? This is the last Missing In Action guy and he might be the most controversial. Girardi is not a bad manager. He led the 2009 team to a ring and he doesn't have a losing season to his record. However, Joe has been on a cold streak lately. I'd be hard pressed to think of something I can clearly say he has done well this year. He manages the 25 and 40 man rosters well, though I'm convinced that's as much Cashman as it is Girardi. I just don't think he's the right manager for this team. This would be a very young team, and I don't know if Joe could handle everything that comes with that. Girardi is typically very loyal to his veterans so it takes awhile for him to realize that the younger guy is better. I also believe that Girardi would have trouble relating to and accommodating the fun and games that goes on inside young clubhouses. While he is not an old manager by any means, Girardi just doesn't seem like the manager who relates to youngsters well. This situation could be very similar to what happened in Chicago with Joe Maddon. Lots of young pieces were coming together quickly when Maddon was hired before the 2015 season. Maddon quickly gelled a bunch of young and new faces into a cohesive, strong clubhouse during the 2015 season. He set the foundation for the Cubs' 2016 WS run during that trial run season. He accomplished that feat through fun, silly, yet effective team activities and experiences. He was definitely the right manager for that team. The Yankees could use their Joe Maddon and that man is not Joe Girardi. The new manager would be hired for a trial run during 2018 to set the stage for the WS run in 2019. Ideally, the new manager should be young, especially because young managers have had success recently. Kevin Cash, Dave Roberts, Craig Counsell and A.J Hinch have all had success this year as young managers. Some candidates I like include Joe McEwing (White Sox bench coach), Jason Giambi, Michael Young, Pudge, Brad Ausmus (if he gets fired), and current 1st bench coach Tony Pena.

This roster makes me giddy just thinking about it. We could win championships - plural - with the kind of talent on this team. This would be a young, mostly homegrown, and relatively cheap team. The oldest player would be Samardzija at 34 and the youngest would be Gleyber at 22. The most expensive would be Keuchel at $31 but the big contracts would be offset by a ton of cheap contracts from the homegrown players. This team would have balance, firepower, and youth. With the Keuchel-less Astros and the Ortiz-less Red Sox, this team could be perennial WS contenders for years. I'm calling it now: The New York Yankees will win their 28th World Series in 2019.