FanPost

The Yankees Don't Need To Pay All The Money To Retool Their Infield

The New York Yankees, already in low spirits after being eliminated by the hated Boston Red Sox to end their 2018 season, were quickly greeted with more bad news on October 12th. Didi Gregorius was revealed to have suffered an injury to his right elbow and would require Tommy John surgery to repair it. It is unclear how much time Gregorius will miss as a result of the surgery, but as far as timing of the surgery, it honestly could have been far worse. By which I mean, having the surgery in October gives Didi the best chance to return to the Yankees lineup. But the question still lingers: what should the Yankees do?

Naturally, many Yankees fans gravitated to Manny Machado as a solution. It's not every day that a 26-year old player hits the open market. He will demand a huge term and a long commitment. His talent is undeniable. And with Didi set to spend an extended amount of time on the DL, many fans see an opening for him.

Hold on...what? Your shortstop will be out for a big chunk of one year, and you're ready to give Machado dump trucks full of Hamiltons? It's not unreasonable to believe he would want a contract that gives $30 million per year for around 10 years, and you're just ready to give that much because your starter is out? Never mind that it puts the team past the luxury tax again. Never mind the issues about Machado's attitude. Pragmatically, such a move doesn't make much sense. And not only would you be replacing a good shortstop, a GREAT shortstop, but one who is the heart and soul of the clubhouse, a beloved personality who is respected by everyone and who can communicate with everyone. I may be a big numbers guy, but you can't overstate the value of that kind of player. Didi is the glue of the clubhouse. Machado, in that regard, is sandpaper.

Then there is the "we could trade Miguel Andújar to make room for Machado" argument. Yes, the same Yankees fans who were absolutely furious when Andújar lost to Shohei Ohtani in Rookie of the Year voting are now ready to move on from him, apparently. The idea is that Andújar could be used as a trade chip to land a top starting pitcher like James Paxton, Carlos Carrasco, or Corey Kluber. First off, what makes you think you're going to get those pitchers? Paxton, maybe, but Carrasco? Kluber?

This is a symptom of fans taking everything front offices say as gospel. The Indians have said they will listen to offers. You know who else said they would "listen to offers?" The Cubs. Are the Cubs going to trade Kris Bryant? Probably not. Are the Indians going to trade Corey Kluber? Again, probably not. The Indians are going to be gift-wrapped the American League Central again. Who would refuse a free gift?

Anyway, back to Paxton. Sure, he's a talented pitcher--the magical no-hitter in Toronto wasn't just luck--but I doubt he will demand so much value that Mr. RoY-2 will be on the move. The Yankees still have significant talent in their farm system as it stands, and they could give some prospects along with a pretty good major-league player (Sonny Gray?) who could make an immediate impact.

Andújar is young and not a complete product, who still has room to grow as a player. But he can rake. And while his fielding last year was nothing short of abysmal (among 124 qualified fielders, Andújar's -25 defensive runs saved was 123rd, ahead of only Charlie Blackmon in center field), it is not fair to just assume that what you see is what you get with a rookie. Andújar's ceiling is not as high as Machado's, and a move to first base seems in the cards if his fielding at the hot corner doesn't improve later in his career, but financially, it's more prudent to keep Miguel around. I'll take paying Andújar a couple million in arbitration until 2024 over, say, paying $30 million per year for Machado until 2028.

"So, alright, wise guy, if you're so smart, what would you do?" Thank you ever so much for asking, random person I made up. Here's my idea. Andújar stays at third for another year to see if he can develop at that position. Gleyber Torres moves to shortstop, where he played most of his games in the minors. That leaves a hole at second base. Tyler Wade can't hit, and Neil Walker is a free agent, so who do the Yankees acquire to fill the need? The Yanks can do many things here, but if Gregorius is expected to return during the year, my choice is Asdrubal Cabrera. Cabrera is a plus bat who can play multiple positions in the field. Last year he slashed .262/.316/.458 (111 WRC+). It's not marvelous, but it should be sufficient. The Yankees should make another signing or trade to have a backup who won't be an automatic out. When Gregorius returns, Cabrera could take on the utility man role, playing off the bench for every infield position.

If Gregorius is expected to miss all of 2018, the Yankees could sign Daniel Murphy. He hit .299/.336/.454(110 WRC+) in an injury-shortened season with the Nationals and Cubs. Murphy's season offensively wasn't quite as good as Cabrera's, but he can blame some of that on injury. Murphy is a left-handed bat who gets a lot of hits. These two attributes aren't extremely prevalent on the Yankees' roster, especially if Didi is out. If Murphy wants a multiyear contract, it could be arranged, but the Yankees may want to move him in the off-season. The big problem, though, is that Daniel Murphy sucks at defense. The rest of the infield hasn't been much better (we've discussed Andújar's defense) though Torres should improve from his raw rookie play. Either way, you may want to brace yourself for some defensive frustration if this one comes to pass.

Signing either of these players while waiting for Gregorius to return costs far less money than signing Machado and constricting the payroll. Cabrera is not nearly as good as Machado, of course, but signing a proven veteran bat with versatility in the field at a low cost makes more sense for the situation the Yankees are in. Murphy is a slap hitter who can also provide those veteran insights despite more apparent weaknesses in his game. All things equal, the Yankees have their shortstop of the present and future, and he is unfortunately going to be out for a while. But that doesn't mean the Yankees should freak out and lock themselves into a top talent for probably far too long. Most of the core is young and they will want their due in arbitration and, eventually, free agency. If that money goes to Machado instead in a move that sounds very...win-or-bust, guys like Judge, Sanchez, Severino, Gregorius, Andújar, and Torres will scatter to the four winds because there just won't be enough room for them. Hope you like sandpaper.

Ultimately, the free agent money should probably be used on pitching. Reinforcements to the bullpen can and should be made with Zach Britton and David Robertson leaving. Robertson has strained relations with the Yankees' front office since electing to forgo an agent and represent himself, so it's entirely possible neither could return, which means some guys will have to take over. Adam Ottavino springs to mind after a fantastic season with Colorado (Colorado!) which should have gotten far more attention. Of course, the elephant in the room is starting pitching, and if the plan is to get Patrick Corbin, I support that plan. Though fans should probably expect him to be more of a second Tanaka rather than a second Severino; maybe slot in between them.

Those are my thoughts on how the Yankees could still build a great roster without getting Machado and compromising the length of this team's contention window. If you bothered to read this far, thank you, and be sure to tell me what you think. Go Yanks!

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