It’s Christmas in the Bronx, and the New York Yankees have plenty of needs to address if they want to compete for a World Series championship in 2024. Given the addition of Juan Soto that strengthened the Yankees’ lineup, their biggest need now is pitching, especially after missing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto in free agency. Based on the team’s needs and the players available, these five players should be on Brian Cashman’s wish list this winter.
Corbin Burnes
Corbin Burnes is the most talented pitcher that figures to be available on the free agent market, and he only has one year left to go before reaching free agency next offseason. That should drive down the price to acquire him.
Burnes fits perfectly as a running mate to complement Gerrit Cole, and if he can be had for three or fewer of New York’s top 10 prospects, Cashman should pull the trigger on this deal.
Shane Bieber
The dominant version of Shane Bieber that won the 2020 American League Cy Young Award may no longer exist.
If anybody can unlock that version of Bieber, however, it would be Yankees pitching coach Matt Blake. Bieber has a checkered health history and major question marks about his game. He is also quickly approaching free agency. These three factors may combine to drop his asking price into the affordable range.
This range could include one or two of the prospects from the bottom half of the Yankees’ top 10, while leaving the upper half of the farm system untouched. In a situation where Cleveland becomes desperate to move him, with no teams offering attractive trade packages, the Yankees could make an offer along with the parameters mentioned above.
If that is enough to get a deal done, the Yankees should make that trade without hesitation. Last year’s version of Bieber would probably still crack the Yankees’ rotation as the No. 4 or 5 pitcher, although that says a lot about the quality of the team's rotation. If Matt Blake is able to unlock even half of Bieber’s former greatness, he could make a great No. 2 or 3 depending on what other moves the Yankees make this offseason.
Zac Gallen
Zac Gallen will be a free agent after the 2025 season. Given that he plays for a small market team, this could open up an opportunity for the Yankees to trade for the Arizona Diamondbacks ace.
Gallen has broken into the elite tier of National League pitchers, finishing within the top five for the Cy Young Award in each of the past two seasons. He has been durable, throwing nearly 400 innings while maintaining an ERA around the 3.00 mark.
Gallen has many tools at his disposal to get batters out. He features four plus pitches and excellent command. He also has an elite feel for the game and an uncanny ability to make mid-game adjustments, along with a proven understanding of the game and an ability to recognize when one of his pitches is not working. Because he is able to do this, and he also has confidence in his other pitches, he is often able to find a workaround when something is not going his way.
Gallen’s mix of pitches enables him to go deep into games. He is able to confuse hitters and bring a fresh approach to each batter, even in the third or fourth time through the order. This makes him an incredibly valuable weapon for the Diamondbacks. Gallen’s ability to go deep into games due to his versatile arsenal of pitches helps keep his team’s bullpen fresh, and the value of that cannot be understated.
Given that he has two more seasons under team control and is a proven ace, Gallen will not come cheap, but he would almost certainly be worth the price.
The difficulties Arizona would have in re-signing him make it likely that they would be open to listening to trade offers. If they were to consider trading him, it would make sense to do so while he still has enough team control to command a premium return.
Dylan Cease
Dylan Cease represents an interesting option for teams in need of starting pitching. The righty for the White Sox had an elite 2022 and followed that up by struggling mightily in 2023. His struggles this past season could push his value down somewhat.
The likely going rate for Cease would be three of the other team’s top 10 prospects. Given that the White Sox are rumored to want pitching in return, players such as Clayton Beeter and Chase Hampton could be in play if the Yankees and White Sox were to enter negotiations. Cease has several years of team control remaining and could be a key player for the Yankees going forward.
Another reason for the Yankees to consider targeting Cease is to keep him away from the Orioles. Baltimore is absolutely looking to acquire pitching as that is the biggest hole in the Orioles’ roster. Keeping a player away from Baltimore could benefit the Yankees by weakening one of their likely playoff opponents, in addition to the Yankees benefiting from that player’s service.
The Yankees may not want to give up too much given Cease’s inconsistency, but depending on how his market shakes out, Brian Cashman should certainly consider this move.
Bobby Witt Jr.
The last player that should be on the Yankees’ wish list this holiday season is Bobby Witt Jr. from the Kansas City Royals. Witt is a young phenom at shortstop, and he could be a cornerstone of the Yankees’ lineup for the next decade.
Witt provides exactly what the Yankees need and don’t currently have. He can hit for both average and power, and he can draw walks. When he gets on base, he has blazing speed and is a threat to swipe a bag or score from first on a ball hit into the gap.
He would be equally capable as a leadoff hitter to get on base and set the table, or a middle of the lineup hitter to drive in runs and maintain traffic on the basepaths.
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