The New York Yankees did not play well in 2023. Despite entering the season with lofty expectations, New York dealt with injury struggles throughout the campaign. And sure, it is easy to blame the Yankees' struggles on injuries, but even players that were healthy did not perform up to their typical standards.
Now, Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole are obviously excluded in that department. Judge was fantastic once again when healthy, but he did have an injury-plagued campaign. Meanwhile, Cole might win the AL Cy Young following another strong performance.
Overall, the Yankees stumbled throughout the year though. This is a ballclub that needs to make some moves during the offseason in order to bounce back in 2023. In fact, New York is already being linked to star pitchers in free agency.
Yankees must sign two or three superstars!
This is the Yankees we are talking about, the team people either love or hate because of their big spending ways, at least, that is what it used to be.
Lately though, with the exception of a few contracts, New York has not been quite as aggressive in the free agency market. The Yankees have relied on a mixture of prospects and analytics to set up their future.
Teams like the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians utilize that approach because they are in small-markets. But the Yankees play in one of the biggest market in sports, so money isn't an issue.
Signing Shohei Ohtani would be intriguing to say the least. But at the very least, New York needs to make some kind of splash.
Cody Bellinger
The Yankees have been connected to Cody Bellinger since last offseason. The fit just makes sense, as Bellinger is a powerful left-handed outfielder, which are all needs (left-handed hitting, outfield) for the Yankees.
Bellinger performed well in 2023 with the Chicago Cubs and has now set himself up nicely for free agency. The Yankees have been linked to Bellinger this offseason, but that doesn't mean he's guaranteed to sign in New York.
Bellinger could take over centerfield duties though. Or, he could play a corner outfield spot, and can even fill in at first base if necessary. His versatility is one of Bellinger's key attributes.
Bellinger's presence in the outfield could lead to Giancarlo Stanton becoming a full-time DH. Keeping Stanton out of the outfield may help the veteran stay healthy, something that's been a concern without question.
It also would not be surprising to see Bellinger's power numbers increase in New York given Yankee Stadium's short right-field fence. And his speed would help an otherwise slow Yankees ballclub, since the ballclub features a number of veterans who don't run all that well anymore.
Signing Cody Bellinger should be a priority during the offseason.
Stick with Anthony Volpe
Some fans are calling for the Yankees to trade/sign a star shortstop. Anthony Volpe, who entered 2023 as a top prospect, struggled mightily at the plate during his rookie season
However, Volpe was a top prospect for a reason. There is still hope for his offensive game. Defensively, Volpe won a Gold Glove and was reliable at a premier position.
The Yankees consider Volpe the shortstop of the future. There isn't any reason to give up on him after just one season.
With that being said, there is no denying that his numbers at the plate were not good in 2023. Volpe slashed just .209/.283/.383 with a .666 OPS, via Baseball Reference. He displayed signs of promise though, hitting 21 home runs and stealing 24 bases. As aforementioned with Bellinger, any extra speed the Yankees can get is a bonus.
If Volpe doesn't find his footing in 2024 then perhaps the Yankees can consider making a change. Patience is the key here though, and New York should continue to stick with the young shortstop for now.
Final thoughts
The Yankees are in an interesting position. They endured a down year but New York's roster isn't terrible. Staying healthy will obviously be of the utmost importance in 2024.
If injuries don't derail the season and New York adds a few stars in free agency or even via trades, the Yankees will emerge as a serious playoff contender once again.
Gerrit Cole and Aaron Judge are terrific superstars to build around. Volpe is a talented young shortstop with an incredibly high-ceiling. New York's veterans are still capable of performing well. Pitchers such as Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes will probably perform well if they stay healthy.
Finding the right pieces and surrounding their core with them will help this Yankees team in a pivotal manner.
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