The New York Yankees encountered its worst fate in 2023. They were shunted out of the playoff race with an abysmal record of 82-80 at the end of the regular season. Naturally, the front office deep-dived into the season and came out with one simple conclusion. The Yankee leadership thinks the roster construction was a problem and vowed to restore it this off-season.
However, despite the promising tones, the New York Yankees went without making a splash move for as many as six weeks. Nonetheless, the non-tender trade deadline forced them to sign off on the move, and the Yanks have enforced their first trade of the off-season. A key outfield has been moved to gain two prospects.
Yankees Trade Jake Bauers To Brewers In First Off-Season Move!
Six weeks into the off-season, and the New York Yankees finally have some news for the fans. On Friday, the Yank signed off on a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. Outfielder Jake Bauers went to the Brewers in exchange for outfielder prospects Jace Avina and Brian Sanchez. Avina, a fourth-round pick of the 2021 draft, had 14 home runs, stole 10 bases, and posted a .815 OPS at Single-A this season. He is just 20, with a bright future lying ahead of him. On the other hand, Sanchez slashed .297/.414/.446 across 101 at-bats in Rookie-level ball in 2023. The 19-year-old announced his arrival in professional baseball in style.
Meanwhile, Jake Bauers made his major league debut in pinstripes earlier this year after Aaron Judge strained his hip. He showed signs of life in the left field but couldn’t translate the same on the plate. Further, injury setbacks made matters worse. Bauers finished the season with .202/.279/.413 slash line, 12 homers and 30 RBIs in 84 games. Apart from this, the Yanks also non-tendered RHP Albert Abreu and, Lou Trivino and LHP Anthony Misiewicz. All these relievers will become free agents in the coming weeks. Naturally, the Bronx Bombers opened up a lot of space for new faces. The roster clearance could be a sign of an incoming major signing. Overall, the unanticipated moves will keep the fans hooked and engaged during the prolonged off-season.
Yanks Lose Key Bullpen Target To Royals!
On the flip side, the New York Yankees were left disappointed with the Atlanta Braves’ trade with the Kansas City Royals. On Friday, the Braves moved reliever Nick Anderson to the KC Royals in exchange for cash consideration. However, as per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Bombers had eyes on Anderson. Apparently, the front office tried to lure him last off-season itself when the thrower was a free agent.
However, due to undisclosed reasons, the deal didn’t go through. And now, to further add to the disappointment, the Yankees lost a chance to acquire Nick Anderson for the second time. Nick missed the 2022 season due to elbow ligament surgery. He returned in 2023 with a bang to record his all-time high 35 appearances. Anderson finished the year with a 4-0 record and a 3.06 ERA. Needless to say, the Bronx Bombers would be gutted to miss out on an impactful player like Nick Anderson.
