Around the Empire: Yankees news - 10/25/23

MLB Trade Rumors | Mark Polishuk: As part of MLB Trade Rumor’s annual Offseason Outlook series, Polishuk broke down where the Yankees stand heading into the 2023-2024 winter. At the moment, the Bombers have $161.25 million in guaranteed contracts for the 2024 season, and anticipated arbitration salaries from their 17 arbitration-eligible players push the expect payroll north of the $237 million luxury tax threshold. How will Brian Cashman and the front office approach the first playoff-less offseason since 2016? Polishuk highlights some possibilities, from players signed to massive long-term deals (Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clay Bellinger) to veteran upgrades on one-year deals to put less pressure on the rookies (Michael Conforto, Kevin Kiermaier).

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: A beat reporter covering the Yankees for MLB.com, Hoch looks ahead to the winter by asking five questions that the organization faces as they seek to move past the disastrous 2023 season. These questions are very general, highlighting both the amount of soul-searching the front office needs to do and dire need for an infusion of talent throughout the roster.

The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: (subscription required) Black holes could be found up and down the Yankees lineup throughout this past season. None, however, loomed as large as Giancarlo Stanton, both in terms of physical magnitude — his 6-foot-6, 245 pound frame is bested only by Aaron Judge — and importance. Stanton was the team’s primary cleanup hitter last year, and he only hit lower than fourth when Jasson Domínguez and Austin Wells forced their way into the top of the order with their bats. The easiest path for a quality Yankees lineup next season involves Stanton once again becoming a positive force in the lineup. That, however, is easier said than done: Driveline data reveals that Stanton’s swing path makes him hit a lot of ground balls, which in essence means that the veteran will need to reconfigure his swing if he wants to be productive at the plate going forward.