Fans continue to criticize Hal Steinbrenner for not making the most of his team’s financial power to win a title. The Yankees haven’t won the World Series since 2009. But things have changed this winter. Owner Hal Steinbrenner has spent about $573.5 million this off-season to keep homegrown superstar Aaron Judge and add starter Carlos Rodon.
Hal Steinbrenner is willing to spend more to make the Yankees the best in baseball and win the title like his father, George. The affirmation came from the Yankees’ new captain Aaron Judge on Wednesday when he told:
“He wants to win, just like his dad. What the Steinbrenner family has built here and done here with the Yankees is something special. I think he wants to continue to build on that legacy.”
Before Aaron Judge signed the $360 million contract to stay in the Bronx for another nine years, the power hitter let Hal Steinbrenner know that he should do more. During his official return ceremony at Yankee Stadium, where he was anointed as the Yankees’ 16th captain, on Wednesday, Aaron Judge spoke about it.
“That was one of the big questions that I asked him. If I’m coming back here for nine-plus years, I want to be in contention every single year. I don’t want to just get into the playoffs. I want to be the driving force that is the team to beat in the postseason.”
Aaron Judge, who won the Most Valuable Player Award for the American League in 2022, thinks that Hal Steinbrenner has so far “backed up his commitment” this off-season. He pointed out that Hal Steinbrenner gave the left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodón a six-year, $162 million deal.
Aaron Judge also brought up the fact that New York guaranteed first baseman Anthony Rizzo $40 million and signed right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle to a two-year, $11.5 million deal under Hal Steinbrenner.
When compared to the more than $700 million that Steven A. Cohen and the rival Mets have spent in recent weeks, this one-time payment seems less impressive, but Hal Steinbrenner knows there’s still work to be done.
“I’m not going to talk about specifics, but I do have a kind of place I want to land,” Steinbrenner said Wednesday when asked team’s payroll. “Whether we’re there or not, I’m not going to get into that. But all I can tell you is we’re not done yet.”
Hal Steinbrenner has a task to fill the left field
A left field is an obvious place for the Yankees to make improvements, but General Manager Brian Cashman said the team will look at all possible ways to get better. The starting rotation led by Gerrit Cole, and Nestor Cortes has become the best in the MLB after the arrival of Rodon.
The team has missed out on a few free agents in left fields, like Andrew Benintendi, who the New York Yankees got from the Kansas City Royals in a trade at the last minute last summer. The Yankees didn’t want to sign a contact-oriented lefty swinger like Benintendi for that long.
Most of the best free agents have already signed with other teams, and even Michael Conforto, who was a mainstay for the Mets, is said to have agreed to sign with another team. Bryan Reynolds, a star center fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates who is 27, and three young Diamondbacks players, Daulton Varsho, 26, Alek Thomas, 22, and Jake McCarthy, 25, have been mentioned in trade rumors. Varsho can also play catcher, and the other two can play outfield.
All of those players either hit from the left side or can hit from either side. The same goes for Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Estevan Florial, three internal candidates that Cashman brought up. But Hicks had a bad season last year and is prone to injuries. Cabrera, who made his major league debut in 2022, hasn’t played much outfield and may be better off in a utility role. Florial, who is 25 years old, has never been successful in the big leagues, though his chances have been slim.
Cashman said on Wednesday, “It’s an area we’d like to improve if we can, but if we can’t, we’ll go with what we have.” In the past, he has said things like this and then made a big deal. He told:
“We’re down a left-handed bat, which would fit in left field. We continue to patiently assess opportunities and when something realistic comes into play that we’re comfortable with trying to pull down, we’ll make some recommendations to Hal Steinbrenner. But it’s Dec. 21 and it’s been more of a challenge to solve that. So, we’ll continue to work.”
The Yankees need to focus on left field, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they added another reliever this offseason. The team could also think about trading Hicks or third baseman Josh Donaldson, but it might be hard to find buyers for expensive veterans coming off of bad seasons.
Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ new clubhouse leader, is sure that no matter what happens between now and spring training, Hal Steinbrenner will look into, if not fix, any problems. He told Steinbrenner, who was sitting next to him, that there might be a couple more moves in the future. “I’m not certain. But I know that they are always working on something to try to make this team better, so I think we’re in good hands there.”
What do you think? Leave a comment below.
