The New York Yankees have been seeking redemption in the current offseason. They had been through their worst season in the last 30 years. Moreover, the 2023 season saw the Bronx Bombers finish with an awful 82-80 record. In the end, they could not make the postseason for the first time since 2016. Moreover, they had a really long Injured List. Many veteran and young players kept filling the list on different occasions. It did not help the NY side’s cause. Moreover, when captain Aaron Judge had a freak accident, hurting his toe and missed 35 games on the trot, the organization had a wake-up call.
Finally, the season was over, and the Yankees looked to add a few more superstar outfielders to the roster. And they did it successfully. At present, the NY side looks pretty good in their outfield. But their pitching needs a little reinforcement. The Yankees sacrificed a lot of their pitching resources for bringing Juan Soto, Trent Grisham and Alex Verdugo in. Lately, the Bombers signed Marcus Stroman for a two-year deal worth $37 million. But the question is why the Yankees seem poised to play the $300 million card even now.
Do The Yankees Like To Look Like The Underdogs Before Signing A Big Deal?
Recently, Joel Sherman from the New York Post mentioned he gets why the Yankees are playing the $300 million underdog card. Sherman thinks the NY side is about to try to play the “Us against the naysayers” card. It is because the New York Post reporter believes nobody plays that card better than the “First-round pick from the draft out of Duke.” Moreover, Sherman suggests the NY side likes to say that nobody believed in the franchise with the highest payroll, so many stars, and all the championship history. Anyway, Sherman thinks that last season made Brian Cashman and the front office ever more determined to make significant changes.
That’s the reason why they did whatever they had to sign Juan Soto. Moreover, the Yankees did offer the Japanese ace pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto a $300 million deal over ten years. But the Japanese Sawamura winner liked the West Coast better. Well, the Yankees can do a lot of things, but they can’t change the geography. That’s why Sherman thinks Cashman wisely signed Stroman for a couple of years while not signing Blake Snell for a big deal. Albeit, Snell is the best-starting pitcher available in free agency now.
The NY Side Is Trying To Figure Out The Best Option For Their Rotation
Moreover, the Bronx Bombers did not like the asking prices of starting pitchers like Blake Snell or Dylan Cease. That’s why they turned to Marcus Stroman. The front office with Aaron Boone had dinner and a long discussion in Tampa about their next moves. Perhaps, Stroman is kind of a deal that can say “Nobody believed in me.”
Moreover, the two current pitchers of the NY side – Stroman and Carlos Rodon, do not lack any talent. Marcus Stroman was an All-Star last year. Carlos Rodon was an All-Star in 2022. Only time can say if the underdog spirit can motivate the 27-time champions to turn things around this year.
