The New York Yankees have enjoyed a strong offseason. Their primary goal of re-signing OF Aaron Judge came to fruition in the form of 9 years and $360 million. New York later inked SP Carlos Rodon in free agency. They have made a number of other moves on the side as well. But have the Yankees done enough to compete with the top teams in the American League?
Without further ado, let’s break down the Yankees’ offseason and grade their free agency moves.
Aaron Judge reunion
Re-signing Aaron Judge was the main goal for New York entering the offseason. The San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres both made generous offers to the superstar. And Giants fans were even led to believe that San Francisco agreed to terms with Judge following a faulty tweet from MLB insider Jon Heyman. But in the end, the Yankees got their superstar and later named him “Captain.”
The signing of Judge is one that bodes well for the Yankees. But he wasn’t their only option in free agency.
Carlos Rodon
Carlos Rodon is a fiery left-handed pitcher who will fit well in the Yankees’ pitching rotation. New York’s rotation now has one of the best front-ends in baseball with Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, and Rodon leading the charge.
The Yankees needed to boost their pitching in order to compete with the Houston Astros in the American League. Yes, they need to focus on their division first. But their most intimidating opponent in the league is the defending champion Astros. And Houston happens to boast one of the best pitching staffs in baseball.
Carlos Rodon was a crucial signing for the Yankees as a result.
Other key Yankees moves
The Yankees re-signed 1B Anthony Rizzo early in free agency. It was an overlooked move given all of the star-power available on the open market, however, it will benefit New York this season.
Rizzo is not the player that he once was. But he’s still a reliable option at first base who provides value on both sides of the ball.
One other extremely under the radar move was the Yankees’ signing of RP Tommy Kahnle. Kahnle, who was formerly with the Dodgers, is a high ceiling reliever who has dealt with previous injury concerns. He will prove to be a quality addition if his health holds up.
New York has also made a flurry of minor league/depth moves.
Yankees’ departures
Andrew Benintendi, Matt Carpenter, Jameson Taillon, and Miguel Castro are the primary Yankees who have switched teams this offseason. Although they will be missed, none of them will make or break the Yankees season.
The Andrew Benintendi departure is the most concerning loss for New York. They are in the market for outfield help and Benintendi would have fit the roster perfectly.
Grade
The Yankees enter 2023 with World Series aspirations. They have no shortage of confidence with Aaron Judge, Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton, and Carlos Rodon leading the charge.
The American League lacks depth compared to the National League, so the path to the Fall Classic is manageable. With that being said, the Astros still present a major roadblock for New York. Meanwhile, teams such as the Blue Jays, Guardians, Mariners, and Rays profile as worthy challengers.
The one area where the Yankees did not improve was shortstop. However, they have talented prospects at the position in the minors. In the end, it was a quality offseason for New York.
Final grade: A-
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