Two Signings To Make New York Yankees Better in 2024
The New York Yankees have a list of things to do this offseason. But, with the Philadelphia Phillies making the first big move of free agency in re-signing pitcher Aaron Nola, dominoes are bound to start falling.
The Yankees are usually the ones making dominoes fall. But if they could only make two significant deals this offseason, what would they be?
ESPN took a look at two deals that every team could make this offseason to get better, deals that would make an impact in 2024. What are they?
The first was for a Japanese pitcher — but not Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the superstar everyone is chasing.
It’s Shota Imanaga, a pitcher ESPN believes could be signed for $68 million over four years.
Imanaga should be posted shortly by his Japanese team, the Yokohama DeNA Baystars.
While Imanaga doesn’t have Yamamoto’s name recognition, he started and earned the win for Japan in the World Baseball Classic championship against the U.S.
He is also two-time Nippon Professional Baseball All-Star with a career 3.18 ERA and has struck out one-quarter of hitters faced in 1,002 career innings.
The second player would address the Yankees’ needs in the outfielder — Jung-Hoo Lee, which ESPN projects could be signed to a five-year, $63 million deal.
Lee plays in South Korea for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization and should also be a free agent soon.
ee did not have a great 2023, as he saw his season end in July due to a left ankle injury as he only hit six home runs in 86 games.
But, in 2022 he was the KBO MVP with a slash line of .349/.421/.575. He’s also produced a .900-plus OPS for three straight seasons from 2020-22. He’s also a career .340 hitter.
They’re not major splashes, but both would address key needs for the Yankees in 2024.
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Bregman is one of two Astros infielders who have contracts ending in 2024. The other is Jose Altuve. The Astros have reportedly said they want to extend both, but Altuve is the priority. They want to make him an Astro for life.
As for Bregman, he could get caught in a numbers crunch. If so, the Astros might be wise to deal him and get some value now.
That’s where the Yankees come in. Bregman has a quality bat and an above-average glove, and MLB.com believes that Yankees fans will forget about the past once he’s in pinstripes:
Yankees fans will get over that 2017 stuff when Bregman is banging out dingers and doubles, improving the club’s on-base ability and making the Bronx Bombers way less Aaron Judge-dependent.
Bregman had another quality season with the Astros, slashing 262/.363/.441/.804 with 28 doubles, four triples, 25 home runs and 98 RBI. His right-handed swing would be a great fit at Yankee Stadium.
In this deal the Yankees would also get Astros outfielder Jake Meyers, an above-average defensive outfielder who is under team control in 2027. Plus, the Yankees get Chicago White Sox pitcher Jared Shuster, whom the White Sox just got last week in the Aaron Bummer deal.
So, how do the White Sox get involved in this? It’s a four-team trade. The site theorizes that for everyone to make the deal work, four teams are needed, with the AL champion Baltimore Orioles being the fourth team.
So while the Yankees get help in three key areas, the White Sox also deal pitcher Dylan Cease to the Orioles and the Orioles trade infielder Jordan Westburg to the Astros.
To this point, the Yankees have given up nothing. But here’s the kicker — the White Sox get a top prospect from each team. The White Sox would get catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo (Orioles’ No. 5 prospect) and pitcher Spencer Arrighetti (Astros’ No. 3 prospect).
From the Yankees? Well, it’s costly from a prospect perspective — outfielder Jasson Domínguez, who is the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect and is recovering from Tommy John surgery.
There’s always a price to be paid. But given what the Yankees would get, it might be worth the deal.
