It’s been said that when you throw a coin in the air, you always know what side you want it to land on. That aptly describes the 2017 New York Yankees, who are trying to rebuild and contend at the same time.
If general manager Brian Cashman tossed some currency, he’d likely hope the word “rebuilding” fell face up. That became apparent when the Yankees didn’t address their glaring weakness this off-season: starting rotation depth.
As we approach the 2017 season, we’re previewing what’s ahead for each of the 30 MLB teams. The Yankees are next:
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Up-and-coming player to watch
Gary Sanchez comes to mind as a player in this category, but given his grand entrance to the majors in 2016, he’s probably shed the “up-and-coming” label.
That makes Aaron Judge the most appropriate choice. The six-foot-seven, 275-lb. slugger has the inside track on the Yankees’ right field job and could lock it down by showing an improved approach at the plate. Judge, a 2013 first-round pick, struck out a whopping 42 times in 84 big-league at bats last season. When he does connect, though, the 24-year-old has the type of prolific power that’s already being compared to the likes of Giancarlo Stanton. If Judge puts it together in 2017, the Yankees could have another true offensive cornerstone to build around.
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What a successful 2017 season would look like
The top three starters in the Yankees’ thin rotation — Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda and CC Sabathia — need to stay healthy and productive. If 23-year-old Luis Severino grabs the fourth spot and returns to his 2015 form, the rotation picture will look more promising. Should that group falter, though, the Bronx Bombers will be in for a trying season because the starters who follow on the depth chart are not ideal options for a contender. The amount of innings the rotation covers will influence the bullpen, which on paper looks strong and is headed by Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances and Tyler Clippard.
New York’s 680 runs scored last season ranked 12th in the AL and that could improve with a full season of Sanchez and the additions of Matt Holliday and Chris Carter. Greg Bird, who missed all of 2016 due to a shoulder injury, could contribute to a successful Yankees campaign by building on the promise he showed in late 2015, when he clubbed 11 home runs with an .871 OPS in 46 games. He could be a key power bat from the left side.
Biggest remaining question
The Yanks possess one of the premier farm systems in the game, but an important question is how soon are their top prospects going to get major-league seasoning? It’s widely believed the club is preparing to make a big splash in the epic 2018 free-agent market and if that’s true, it makes sense to have an internal core that’s fully ready to compete by then.
In the event New York drops out of contention early this season, the opportunity to get a jump-start on breaking in the youngsters could come via the trade of several veterans to create space. Holliday, Sabathia and Pineda are in their contract years; Tanaka has an opt-out clause after the season and outfielder Brett Gardner, who’s reportedly been dangled in trade talks the past few winters, could also go.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens when the Yankees flip the metaphorical coin this summer.
