Early in the season, the New York Yankees were so hard to beat because of their exceptional batting. The problem with having that approach is it is high-risk, high-reward. Toward the latter part of the season until the postseason, Aaron Judge lacked sufficient help that would make the Yankees a legitimate World Series contender.

Judge was able to carry the franchise until the ALCS, but they were swept by an excellent Houston Astros squad. The offense was glaringly missing for New York as they relied a ton on the power and long ball, which was indicative of the high strikeout rate of the team. Two of their best contact hitters were out in the postseason, but that is not an excuse to not even snatch a game from Houston. 

With the looming problems in the Bronx, these are a couple of moves they must consider if Aaron Judges decides to take his talents to another city next year.

3. Sign any of the SS quartet in the FA market

The depth of the shortstop position in the offseason is incredible, with Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson, and Xander Bogaerts are all free agents. Coincidentally, one of the primary weaknesses of the Yankees has been at that SS position. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Oswald Peraza were the main options for manager Aaron Boone this season.

Obviously, those two will not cut it out against the toughest competition in the American League. If Judge decides to move on, the organization must spend it on either Correa or Turner because they will address many of their issues both with the bat and on the field. It will not be cheap to sign these guys, but they must prioritize it to mitigate many of the weaknesses of the Yankees.

2. Gerrit Cole cannot be the sole ace of this team

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Losing Masahiro Tanaka and the subpar play of pitchers like Luis Severino and Frankie Montas derailed the ceiling of the Yankees this season. Aaron Boone had trouble searching for the pitching rotation he would rely on in the postseason, as he was a bit lucky with the rain before Game 5 against the Cleveland Guardians.

The 2023 free agent class is not that deep in terms of starting pitching, but two legendary pitchers might be available in Jacob deGrom and Justin Verlander. Both have player options for next season, so there is a likelihood for both superstars to be on the radar of the Yankees.

1. Throw the bag at Edwin Diaz

Gone are the days when Aroldis Chapman would save the Yankees' bullpen from their struggles. It is unlikely for him to even return to New York next season, so the front office must do all they can to have an elite closer like Edwin Diaz. Even if the New York Mets were eliminated early, Diaz cemented himself as the most sought-after relief pitcher in the offseason.

Other big market teams will chase for him too, but the Yankees should have more money to offer him if Aaron Judge departs. There were a couple of games in the postseason the Yankees had but eventually lost because of their bullpen. Bolstering their bullpen must be a point for consideration for the front office, and Diaz is the best answer to it. Other alternative plans that would still enhance their production are Kenley Jansen or Taylor Rodgers.