Around the Empire: Yankees news - 1/5/23

New York Daily News | James O’Connell: Although the Yankees will be playing fewer games against the AL East this year, the first goal of the team is to win the division and avoid the Wild Card round in the postseason. To do this, they’ll have to take on three real challenges for the division crown, with both the Blue Jays and Rays eyeing the AL East title, and the Orioles looking to continue their improvement year-to-year. The Red Sox on paper are the worst in the class, but nobody is really a pushover in what’s regularly baseball’s toughest division.

ESPN | Jeff Passan & Joon Lee: Speaking of those Red Sox, they finally got something right this winter, locking up Rafael Devers to a reported 11-year, $331 million extension. Devers was scheduled to be a free agent next year, and with the Sox allowing multiple homegrown stars to leave Boston over the past few years, there was certainly cynicism that the third baseman would be around long term. Pending a physical (not that that’s been an issue for players this winter...) it looks like Devers will spend just about his entire career at Fenway.

NJ.com | Brendan Kuty: Brian Sabean was hired earlier this week as a special assistant to Brian Cashman, after a long and successful career with the Giants. The role by nature is fluid, but Sabean himself seems interested in mentorship within the front office and “doctoring” any roster-related crises the Yankees might run into.

MLB.com | Manny Randhawa: Almost all the big name free agents have signed by this point of the offseason, but the Yankees’ roster isn’t quite set yet. A trio of talented outfielders are still on the market should the Yankees want to dabble in signing a left fielder, and if one more relief depth move is needed, pitchers like Andrew Chafin are still unsigned.