Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman on the Yankees’ moves before 2021

The Yankees squad represents an incomplete puzzle in the vision of Brian Cashman, who remains open to changes and updates. However, in the set of players who will report to Spring Training, the veteran general manager once again sees the ingredients of a champion caliber club. In the past two weeks, Cashman’s

The Yankees squad represents an incomplete puzzle in the vision of Brian Cashman, who remains open to changes and updates. However, in the set of players who will report to Spring Training, the veteran general manager once again sees the ingredients of a champion caliber club.

In the past two weeks, Cashman’s board overhauled the list, marking infielder DJ LeMahieu while importing early pitchers Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon, and then making a rare exchange with the Red Sox. A deal with the appeaser Darren O’Day is expected to be formally announced in the coming days.

“I’m not sure the list is complete,” said Cashman. “At the same time, we are ready to go with what we have. I think we have quality in all positions and depth in the initial rotation with additions like Taillon and Kluber. We are certainly excited about the current team we have. “

While there are logistical uncertainties about Spring Training due to the pandemic, Cashman and manager Aaron Boone said they expect the camp to start on time, with pitchers and catchers scheduled to report to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida in February. 16

“We certainly feel that we have been one of the best teams and we rightly have championship expectations, which we will have again this year,” said Boone.

Cashman and Boone spoke to reporters via Zoom about various topics on Friday afternoon. Here are five lessons:

1 Health plan
‘Next Man Up’ has been the Yankees’ rallying cry for more than two seasons, with injuries that led to a redesign of the club’s conditioning and strength programs last winter. Cashman said the team did its due diligence on Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon, relying heavily on player health and performance director Eric Cressey, who has worked extensively with Kluber for years.

“Hopeful is certainly an appropriate word,” said Cashman. “We made the commitment because we believe that, despite the risk, it was a position that was worth it. Now let’s take a test drive, for better or for worse. When placing a bet, we will count on the best than the worst, but I cannot rule out that there is risk. I believe and hope that they will have a positive impact. “

two Insufficient funds
With hitter Aaron Hicks, potentially the only Yankee starting player who can hit on the left side of the plate, Cashman said the team remains interested in opportunities to remedy this situation, although he said they found no one to represent an update on the formation. current. A reunion with Brett Gardner remains possible.

“Clearly, we’ve been a big fan of Brett for some time and I think Brett honored that assessment,” said Cashman. “He has been a great Yankee. We’ll see how things are going to happen in the coming weeks, but obviously he’s still on the board. I really don’t have any more to add at this point. “

3 – Goodbye, Masa (for now?)
Cashman and Boone threw verbal bouquets to the right Masahiro Tanaka, who returned to the Rakuten Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball league this week, concluding his seven-year season with the Yankees. Cashman said the theory was “two for one”, in which Kluber and Taillon cost roughly what Tanaka would have won. Cashman called Tanaka “a tremendous competitor with class and dignity”, and he did not rule out a possible return for Tanaka in the future.

“We are always open to assess the opportunities that present themselves,” said Cashman. “There are never closed doors, let’s put it that way from my perspective. I wish him the best of luck and his lack will make him miss him. And it will be difficult to replace it at the same time. Our players really did relate to him, and for good reason. He was the top shelf. “

4 – What is Kraken?
Gary Sánchez recently told ESPN that he was confused by his lack of playing time during the 2020 postseason, when the backup catcher Kyle Higashioka started five of the team’s seven games. Sánchez said he sought an explanation from Boone after the end of the season, and they cleared the air in conversation. Boone said that Sánchez probably would have started game 1 of the American League Championship Series if the Yankees moved forward.

“The postseason was a completely fluid situation,” said Boone. “I didn’t make the decision to say ‘Gary is at the bank’. I was going home literally every night discussing this and sleeping over who I would start the next day with. A big reason for that was how well Kyle Higashioka was playing. I think we all saw how he is a great defender, but at that time of year, he was also swinging his bat incredibly well and hitting it with some force.

5 Dispatching
Adam Ottavino was part of the Yankees’ first deal with the Red Sox since 2014, switched to Boston with candidate Frank Germán in exchange for a player being nominated or money considerations. Cashman said his preference would have been to find another trading partner, but Red Sox offered the greatest financial flexibility, assuming that most of the $ 9 million Ottavino was owed.

“[Ottavino] in fact, I was at Yankee Stadium when Cash closed the deal, having a launch session and working out, ”said Boone. “He was there when Cash told him, and then he and I had a chance to talk. That was a little strange. He’s someone I have a lot of respect for, and we’ll miss him. He’s going to be tough on us. “