New York Yankees

The New York Yankees acquired outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals at the 2022 trade deadline, but it appears they aren't willing to re-sign the free agent to a five-year deal, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The Pinstripes are still interested in retaining Benintendi, they just aren't open to that length.

Brendan Kuty of NJ.com reported Dec. 9 that retaining Benintendi is a "top task" for the Yankees this winter.

Benintendi also told the Yankees at the end of the season that he would be interested in coming back, according to Kuty, and general manager Brian Cashman reiterated his desire to retain the veteran outfielder.

The 28-year-old is coming off one of his best years. He hit .304/.373/.399 with five home runs and 51 RBI in 126 games. However, he slashed just .254/.331/.404 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 33 games with the Yankees before being sidelined with a broken hamate bone in September.

New York was hopeful Benintendi could return during the team's postseason run, but he never made it back into the lineup as the Yankees were swept out of the American League Championship Series by the Houston Astros.

The Yankees will have stiff competition for Benintendi's services. The Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins have all been linked to the 2021 Gold Glove winner.

If the Yankees can't keep Benintendi, the team would have to rely on a combination of Aaron Hicks and potentially Giancarlo Stanton in left field, which isn't ideal. They could also shift their focus elsewhere.

The Yankees have also been linked to Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds, who requested a trade from the club earlier this month. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Dec. 4 that New York is "very much" in on Reynolds.

If the New York Yankees want to sign Carlos Rodón, they are going to have to make significant changes to their initial contract proposal for the left-handed starting pitcher.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, there is a "sizable gap" between what the Yankees offered and what Rodón is seeking in free agency.

It's unclear what New York's offer was, but Heyman noted Rodón is believed to be after a deal of at least seven years and $30 million per season.

Rodón is arguably the top remaining free agent after Carlos Correa agreed to a 13-year, $350 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Certainly, Rodón is the best pitcher still on the market. Heyman noted the two-time All-Star remains the Yankees' top priority, and the two sides "are expected to work on potential compromises over the next few days."

After getting Aaron Judge to agree to a nine-year, $360 million to remain in the Bronx, starting pitching seemed like it should be a priority for the team. They lost Jameson Taillon, who ranked second on the team with 177.1 innings in 2022, to the Chicago Cubs in free agency.

Nestor Cortes Jr. had a breakout season with a 2.44 ERA, but he threw nearly as many innings in 2022 (158.1) as he did in the previous four seasons combined (172).

Luis Severino pitched well last season with a 3.18 ERA and 1.00 WHIP in 19 starts, but it was also the first time he broke the 100-inning barrier since 2018.

Rodón is a player who also comes with significant risk. He only made 11 appearances total in two seasons from 2019-20 and had a 5.74 ERA during that span.

Since the start of 2021, however, Rodón ranks third among all pitchers with at least 300 innings pitched in FanGraphs wins above replacement (11.1) and fourth in ERA (2.67). He has made the All-Star team and finished in the top six in Cy Young voting in both seasons.

A rotation led by Rodón and Gerrit Cole would be very formidable in the regular season and postseason. The Yankees are all-in to win right now after paying to bring back Judge and Anthony Rizzo.

If there's any way for the Yankees to close the gap with Rodón, they need to make it work because he would fill a huge need for them as they chase a World Series appearance in 2023.

The New York Yankees were reportedly preparing for Aaron Judge to leave for the San Francisco Giants or San Diego Padres before a nine-year, $360 million deal came together at the last minute.

One Yankee executive told Buster Olney of ESPN that he had a "feeling" Judge would bolt to the West Coast amid interest from the Padres and Giants.

The Yankees' most serious competitor in the race was San Francisco. Olney reported the Giants' offer came in at somewhere between $320 million and $360 million. There was even a brief period when seemingly credible but ultimately erroneous reports of Judge leaving for San Francisco made the rounds on social media.

The Padres reportedly made it clear they were willing to outbid the Yankees, but nothing "formal was presented to the league offices."

In the end, the Yankees' negotiations with Judge came down to one question: Did he want to be a Yankee? Olney reported Hal Steinbrenner asked Judge that exact question during a phone conversation Dec. 6. When the reigning AL MVP indicated he wanted to stay in New York, Steinbrenner gave the OK to increase the team's offer from $320 million to $360 million.

"Hal Steinbrenner has been the tip of the spear with this one," general manager Brian Cashman told reporters a few hours later. "Our organization has tried to stay connected in every way possible—Hal Steinbrenner directly with Aaron Judge, as well—to make sure that there was going to be no stone unturned and there was no effort missed in our discussions."

Judge is coming off one of the greatest power-hitting seasons in MLB history—and the greatest since the steroid era. His 62 home runs in 2022 are the most in American League history and the most by a player who has not fallen under a cloud of steroid suspicion.

Free-agent starting pitcher Carlos Rodón prefers to sign with the New York Yankees, but the Minnesota Twins and St. Louis Cardinals were "believed to be seriously in play" Tuesday afternoon.

Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media reported the news on the 30-year-old left-hander, who went 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA for the San Francisco Giants last season. He struck out 237 batters in 178 innings en route to his second straight All-Star Game selection.

The interest between the Yankees and Rodón is mutual, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Monday that a formal offer from New York was expected to be sent to the eight-year veteran Monday or Tuesday.

Heyman also reported that the Yankees' "main focus" was Rodón and that New York seemed "very serious and hopeful about this pursuit."

The Yankees, however, have competition. Heyman reported Sunday that the Cardinals were in the mix.

St. Louis has already made one major free-agent acquisition in catcher Willson Contreras to replace franchise legend Yadier Molina, and Rodón could be the team's ace.

Rodón is searching for at least a seven-year deal, per Heyman and Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Heyman added that the Yanks appeared "reluctant" to give Rodón such a contract.

Rodón would help complete a tremendous rotation in the Bronx led by All-Stars Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes. He'd likely slot in between the two as the Yankees seek their first World Series appearance since 2009.

For now, Rodón has options as the top free-agent pitcher on the market. He is coming off a tremendous two-year stretch wherein he went 27-13 with a 2.67 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP and 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

The former North Carolina State star began his MLB career in 2015 with the Chicago White Sox. He signed as a free agent with the Giants in March and opted out of the second and final year of the deal in November.

The New York Yankees already made the offseason's biggest move when they re-signed Aaron Judge, but they reportedly could bolster their pitching rotation with a major addition as well.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the American League East team is expected to make "a formal offer" for pitcher Carlos Rodón on Monday or Tuesday.

"The initial indication is that Rodón seeks seven-plus years at $200 million plus, and while the Yankees seem reluctant to go to that length, they also seem very serious and hopeful about this pursuit," Heyman wrote.

With Jacob deGrom joining the Texas Rangers and Justin Verlander taking his place on the New York Mets, Rodón is likely the top remaining starting pitcher on the market.

He timed his breakthrough perfectly ahead of free agency and was an All-Star in each of the last two seasons for the Chicago White Sox and then the San Francisco Giants. The southpaw posted a 2.88 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 237 strikeouts in 178 innings last year.

That it came after he finished the 2021 season with a 2.37 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 185 strikeouts in 132.2 innings in Chicago suggested that effort was not a fluke and should provide confidence for the Yankees if and when they do sign him.

After all, Rodón looked nothing like an All-Star pitcher before the 2021 campaign, recording five straight seasons of an ERA above 4.00 and dealing with several injuries.

Now theoretically still in his prime at 30 years old and coming off back-to-back strong efforts, he seems primed to land a major contract with a New York team that will be in World-Series-or-bust mode after keeping Judge this offseason.

The Yankees could have a strong rotation next season with Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino, Frankie Montas and Domingo German all candidates to pitch plenty of innings. However, adding a front-line starter like Rodón would take some of the pressure off the other options and provide much-needed depth.

A 13-year World Series drought may not be long for most teams, but it is an eternity by the Yankees' standards.

They are surely looking to take the next step with an aggressive offseason, and Rodón may be the next addition.

The New York Yankees entered the offseason with one goal in mind beyond re-signing Aaron Judge and keeping him in pinstripes forever: bolster a bullpen that was obliterated by the Houston Astros in the ALCS.

They appear poised to do that in the form of an offer to San Francisco Giants lefty Carlos Rodón, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post.

It would mark the second time the Yankees have been in a battle with the Giants over a free agent, the first being the aforementioned Judge. Is it worth getting into a front-office battle with the across-country team over a lefty with just two distinct pitches?

The short answer: is yes, but the Yankees should know that Rodón is not the solution to the problem.

Pitching Depth, Injury History

The Yankees bullpen gave up a combined ERA of 3.97 per game, 30 hits and 18 runs, 15 of which were earned. Yankees pitchers were roughed up by Houston's offense en route to a nine-run differential across the four-game series.

Rodon had a very good 2022, going 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA while striking out 237 hitters and establishing a 1.03 WHIP. All while leaning on the fastball and slider, proving variance in pitching is not necessary if you can do two things very well.

In a marketplace set by the monstrous deals for Justin Verlander and Jacob deGrom, he is going to do very well financially, perhaps even with the Yankees. But it will not be the solution to New York's problems.

The team ranked fourth in innings pitch in 2022, according to MLB.com, with 79.2. Gerritt Cole (200.2), Nestor Cortes (158.1) and Jameson Taillon (177.1) were well north of 150 innings themselves.

Rodón is already 30 years old and has an injury history. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and even before that, had a history of arm fatigue earlier in his career. As late as 2021, there were very real questions about his future in the Majors.

Add that to an already exhausted bullpen with an innings and strikeouts deficiency to boot, and a $30 million AAV and there is reason to be cautious on the Yankees part. Especially considering they rank second in overall payroll and will be subject to a Competitive Balance Tax.

There are other pitchers, such as Chris Bassitt, Nathan Eovaldi and Noah Syndergaard, available who could be acquired to do the same thing for a more sensible financial burden. Bassitt turned down a $19 million option to remain with the Mets, but the Yankees would be able to acquire him for far less than the AAV Rodón is expected to demand.

Ditto Syndergaard, who can likely be acquired on a shorter, more cost prohibitive deal if his 2022 deal with the Angels is any indication.

The Yankees are not so far into the offseason and free agency that it cannot acquire multiple pieces to help strengthen its rotation rather than riskily overspending for Rodón without a guarantee of a World Series berth.

This is one instance where playing the waiting game and not jumping at the first big-name free agent at a position of need should benefit the Yankees in the long run.

If the New York Yankees really want to send a message they are serious about getting over the hump in their quest to get back to the World Series, they need to make a significant push to sign Carlos Correa.

It's not 100 percent certain the Yankees have an interest in Correa, but ESPN's Buster Olney recently floated the possibility that something could be happening:

Everything about the Yankees' offseason was, understandably, centered around re-signing Aaron Judge. They were able to accomplish their mission by getting the 2022 American League MVP to agree to a nine-year, $360 million deal, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

New York began the offseason by re-signing Anthony Rizzo to a two-year deal worth at least $40 million.

Even though the $400 million spent in free agency to bring back two key players sounds good, the Yankees are slightly worse on paper than they were when the 2022 season ended.

Jameson Taillon left the Bronx to accept a four-year, $68 million deal from the Chicago Cubs. Even though he wasn't a huge factor in the postseason, Gerrit Cole was their only starter who threw more innings than Taillon in 2022.

There are major holes in the lineup that still need to be filled. They received below-average offensive production at shortstop, left field and designated hitter.

Shortstop is the easiest position for the Yankees to upgrade because there are two All-Stars still available: Correa and Dansby Swanson.

There have been no rumblings about Swanson going to New York. Correa ending up in New York still feels like a long shot, but it really shouldn't at this point.

The biggest obstacle preventing the Yankees from pursuing Correa is the competitive balance tax. Hal Steinbrenner has been actively avoiding the tax for years.

Per Spotrac, the Yankees' tax payroll for 2023 is the second-highest in MLB at $221.2 million. The luxury-tax line for next season is $233 million.

Let's assume Correa signs a deal that pays him close to his 2022 salary with the Minnesota Twins ($35.1 million). It would bring the Yankees' payroll up to $256.3 million. They would be taxed 20 percent of their overage total as a first-time offender (roughly $7 million).

The Yankees have around $40 million coming off their luxury-tax payroll in 2024. The CBT jumps up to $237 million in 2024, so any potential penalty they might incur will only be a significant issue for one year.

If the Yankees can't afford a $7 million payment, the Steinbrenner family should sell the franchise.

Even ignoring the small financial penalty for the organization, the upgrade on the field is so significant to offset it.

Correa has been worth 10.6 FanGraphs' wins above replacement over the past two seasons combined. He has a .279/.357/.479 career slash line and averages 28 homers per 162 games played.

Yankees shortstops are projected to be worth a total of 3.7 fWAR in 2023. Anthony Volpe, their top prospect, is projected to be their top player at the position with a .240/.317/.420 slash line.

Volpe's pending arrival doesn't need to complicate things for the Yankees. They can move either him or Correa to third base, which would also allow manager Aaron Boone to bench Josh Donaldson.

Donaldson is 37 and looked his age last season with a .222/.308/.374 slash line.

The Yankees need to be all-in for the next few years while they still have Judge and Gerrit Cole in their prime. It doesn't do them any good to sit on their hands and hope Giancarlo Stanton and Luis Severino are going to stay healthy.

The New York Yankees are preparing an offer to free agent starting pitcher Carlos Rodón, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The 30-year-old left-hander is the Yankees' "top remaining target," per Heyman, who said that the team seems "hopeful, or perhaps even optimistic" about their chances.

The San Francisco Giants, who Rodón played for last season, remain involved, and Heyman characterized it as a battle between them and the Yankees for the left-hander's services with "a few other teams in the mix" as well.

Rodón went 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA last year. He earned an All-Star Game appearance for the second straight year and finished sixth in the National League Cy Young voting. The southpaw also struck out 237 batters in 178.0 innings.

The former North Carolina State star played for the Chicago White Sox from 2015-21 before signing with the Giants last offseason on a two-year, $44 million contract that included an opt-out after the first year.

Rodón elected to become a free agent and cash in on his great 2022 season, and now he stands to earn a nine-figure contract. A seven-person ESPN panel predicted that Rodón would sign for five years and anywhere between $130 million and $150 million. Rodón is looking for a seven-year deal, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Rodón would fit second in the Yankees' starting rotation between All-Stars Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes. Luis Severino would then slot in as the fourth starter. Frankie Montas and Domingo Germán would be the top candidates to round the rotation out.

The Yankees already earned a huge offseason win by retaining American League MVP Aaron Judge on a nine-year, $360 million contract. Adding Rodón would be a massive victory for a team looking to break through to the World Series for the first time since 2009.

What else do the New York Yankees have up their sleeve?

It appears the team isn't done making moves after re-signing superstar and reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge to a nine-year, $360 million contract.

"They are in on Carlos Rodon, but then I heard that there's something even bigger that they're working on," Michael Kay said on his show Friday.

The assumption will be that if the Yankees are pursuing a bigger fish than Rodon left on the market, it will be star shortstop Carlos Correa.

ESPN's Buster Olney hinted as much, saying on 95.7 The Game's Willard and Dibs that he's "definitely picking up a lot of vibes" the Yankees are "working on something big" in regards to Correa.

The Yankees already have Isiah Kiner-Falefa at shortstop and a pair of highly regarded prospects at the position in Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza, so it hasn't appeared to be the team's biggest need this offseason.

There's no doubt that Correa would be an immediate upgrade, however.

The 28-year-old, a two-time All-Star, hit .291 with 22 homers, 64 RBI, 70 runs and a .834 OPS. It was his sixth season with at least 20 home runs, excellent production for a player at a defensively-key position.

Retaining Judge and landing Correa in the same offseason would be a huge splash for the Yankees, even if it's arguable that adding a left-fielder is a more pressing need and stockpiling starting pitchers on Rodon's level is never a bad idea.

Regardless of how the Yankees continue to approach free agency, it doesn't appear as though the Judge signing will slow them down this winter.

"We have a lot of aspects of the roster that we need to address," Cashman told reporters on Wednesday. "There's other aspects of the roster we're trying to address and we'll continue to do so. We're on the clock. We'll obviously give [manager Aaron Boone] the best players so he can have the best team and he can do with it what he wants when spring training starts."