Around the Empire: Yankees news - 11/16/20

New York Post | Dan Martin: Martin speculates that the Mets could poach more Yankee talent this winter. With a rotation that has question marks behind Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman, and a new owner that appears ready to spend, the Mets have every incentive to pursue the top starters on the market. That could lead them to Masahiro Tanaka, a dependable right-hander who is obviously no stranger to pitching and succeeding in New York.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: There have been some rumblings that the rival Blue Jays are ready to make a move in the AL East this winter. While much of the sport is laying the groundwork for slashing payroll, the Jays have already re-signed lefty Robbie Ray and have been linked to DJ LeMahieu, as well as a handful of other high-profile free agents. Should the Yankees purposely take a step back this offseason, they could force themselves into a dangerous situation, one in which the the defending AL champion Rays and upstart Jays both profile as real threats in the division.

New York Post | George A. King: The deadline to tender players contracts for 2021 is approaching, and King writes that Gary Sánchez is a real non-tender candidate. The 28-year-old, coming off a nightmare 2020 season, is in line to make a little over $5 million next year. As terrible as Sánchez was this past season, it’s hard for me to imagine the Yankees should simply cut him. Merely a modest bounce back would make Sánchez a steal, and even if he continues to scuffle, a $5-million price tag shouldn’t keep the Yankees from making bets on high-upside talent.