The New York Yankees have fallen far from the title contention. Once upon a time, they used to dominate the league, winning almost every World Series. The Bronx Bombers made it look easy back in the 20th century. Moreover, the last time the NY side won a World Series happened in 2009. Since then, the 27-time champions have lost their domination. Albeit they lost the ability to dominate the league, the iconic pinstripe franchise has always been one of the top contenders for the title. But in the last few years, things have looked like deteriorating even more for the Yankees. Since 2016, in 2023, the NY side, for the first time, failed to make the postseason. They barely managed to maintain the streak of winning seasons.
Hence, the owner and the GM are currently busy figuring out a way to get this franchise back to the title contention. Now, what are the significant changes the Yankees can make this offseason to achieve their goal? As per CBS Sports, the Bronx Bombers can make four or five big moves this offseason to get back to title contention. First of all, the Bronx Bombers need to fix their offensive issues. They had the second-worst batting average in the previous season. The only franchise with a worse batting average than the Yankees was the Oakland Athletics.
What Are The Big Moves Yankees Should Make This Offseason?
Clearly, the NY team needs a skillful lefty hitter. In fact, they need a superstar hitter who they can bet on. The only superstar outfielder the Yankees have at present is their captain, Aaron Judge. Any injury to the captain turns out to be fatal for the 27-time champions nowadays. Hence, they need another superstar outfielder to guide them through in times of the captain’s absence from the lineup. And who better than Juan Soto to fill that void of a second superstar? The San Diego Padres outfielder has been linked with the Yankees for a long time now. It would be great for the fans in the Bronx to see the superstar wear the pinstripe jersey.
Besides Soto, the Yankees can always vouch for another lefty outfielder like Cody Bellinger. Moreover, Cody has an impressive resume with a World Series title for the LA Dodgers. Currently, the Chicago Cubs outfielder might be available in the market. Then the Yankees should get him this offseason. With Soto and Bellinger roaming the Yankees outfield, they have a good chance to get back to title contention. Moreover, the Yankees also need some help in their pitching department. For that, the best available option is Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It seldom happens that a talented and young pitcher like the Orix Buffaloes star becomes available in free agency for anything but money. Brian Cashman should not let this Japanese star-free agent go away from their hands. The Yankees would benefit a lot in the long term from the 25-year-old Japanese pitcher.
Brian Cashman Must See That The Team Has Adequate Depth Next Season
Currently, Shohei Ohtani is the biggest free agent available in the MLB market. The Yankees should try and sign him. But there’s a good chance that the two-time MVP might say “No.” Anyway, the most important thing the NY side must look upon is maintaining depth in the roster. Once Giancarlo Stanton got injured last season, Cashman realized the lack of depth in their roster. Moreover, the Yankees gave a lot of plate appearances to several players this year.
But the performances of the rookie-eligible hitters didn’t raise hopes. Instead, that’s something the franchise must worry about. Hence, the GM and his front office must be ready with a quality depth. While Soto and Yamamoto will be all over the headlines, it is the depth that will differentiate the pretenders and the contenders.
