Not only the Yankees attempted to acquire Andrew Benintendi. The Mets were one among the teams interested in the left fielder until he signed the White Sox’s five-year, $75 million contract.
Benintendi appealed to the Mets for a variety of reasons, including Steve Cohen’s appreciation for him as a player. But — and this will be difficult to believe now — even this version of the Mets had financial constraints. In their bids for Benintendi, they were among a number of teams that offered opt-outs and four-year contracts for approximately $60 million.
However, after acquiring Kodai Senga and completing agreements with Justin Verlander, Brandon Nimmo, Jose Quintana, and David Robertson, the Mets put a bit of a brake on any further significant transactions. The only way they would change their stance is if Cohen believed he had identified a player who would have a significant impact on the club’s immediate future. Hence, Carlos Correa now has a contract with the Mets. Cohen viewed Correa as the type of player worthy of increasing both his record payroll and the ire of his opponents.
Once Aaron Judge was re-signed, the Yankees informed the Benintendi camp that he was a priority, but they could only afford one of Benintendi or Carlos Rodon as their next move. And Rodon was the most important. Rodon signed a six-year, $162 million contract with the team.
Both the Yankees and Mets desired additional time in the Benintendi negotiations to determine whether they can clear payroll. However, the Benintendi camp could not risk other teams dropping out of contention. The White Sox do not offer opt-outs, thus their willingness to sign a five-year contract set them apart from the competition.
Thus, the Yankees’ top candidate to play left field eluded them.
This week, Hal Steinbrenner stated that the Yankees could increase their salary, but did not specify by how much.
Hal Steinbrenner stated during the Judge press conference on Wednesday that the Yankees were not done adding players and had salary space to do so, though he would not specify the maximum amount. Currently, they anticipate a franchise-record salary of $288 million. If they want to stay under the $293 million top tax threshold, they have limited maneuverability without subtracting a contract, and it’s not as if teams have indicated an insatiable desire to acquire Josh Donaldson or Aaron Hicks’s poor contracts.
Brian Cashman recognized that a left-handed hitter in left field is perhaps the most obvious addition. In contrast, one executive from a competing team stated regarding the market for available left-handed hitters, “You are looking for something that does not exist.” Outside of [Pittsburgh’s Bryan] Reynolds, there aren’t many left-handed bats that will make you feel good about your acquisition.
Why don’t we employ 3Up to investigate this field, given that the Mets are at least intrigued about this item and the Yankees are significantly more so?
The Yankees communicated with Matt Carpenter’s camp prior to his signing with the Padres. Before injuring his left foot, Carpenter was among the top hitters in the major leagues for six weeks before to his injury. He was unprepared for the postseason, striking out in nine of his first 12 at-bats.
The Yankees maintained their interest. Carpenter, on the other hand, had a clear path to 500 plate appearances, with the majority of those coming at designated hitter. Due to the presence of Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees were unable to offer that. And Carpenter cannot consistently play the outfield.
Therefore, where does it leave the Yankees’ internal options? Currently, they have only one left-handed hitter in their lineup, Anthony Rizzo, but their three best possibilities for left field are all left-handed hitters: Aaron Hicks, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Estevan Florial.
After being brought up by the Yankees late in the 2022 season, Oswaldo Cabrera occasionally played in the corner outfield, but he may be best suited for a super-utility role.
Cabrera would likely have the first opportunity. However, this is based on two excellent months to conclude the previous season. And if the last two months are any indication of Cabrera’s potential, the Yankees would prefer him to be their Swiss Army Knife, moving across the diamond for 400-500 plate appearances.
Can Hicks return to league-average statistics? He posted an OPS of 83 or higher in each of the prior two seasons. He will be 33 years old in 2023. He is frequently injured. He appeared to be affected by the boos at home as much as anyone not called Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Although the defensive analytics favored Hicks in left field, the eye test did not concur.
Florial, meanwhile, posted impressive numbers in Triple-A last season, but he was unable to translate those stats to the majors in brief appearances. Could he for an extended period of time? Since he is out of options and must therefore be exposed to waivers if he does not remain with the big league club for the entire season, the Yankees would have to feel very strongly about this. And he would certainly be selected from waivers. His minor league records, age (25) and tools would make him appealing to rebuilding teams that could give him consistent at-bats to see whether he can translate the tools into major league success.
All of these factors make it more likely that Florial will be the third or fourth piece in a trade rather than opening the season on the 26-man roster.
Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe, both right-handed, are the other Yankees position prospects with the highest likelihood of contributing to the 2023 team. In the recent past, the Yankees have prioritized acquiring the best players over maintaining a lefty-righty balance. When they acquired Rizzo and Joey Gallo at the 2021 trade deadline, though, they began to change. There is a growing understanding that balance is important, particularly in the playoffs.
The Yankees’ three most recent first-round selections, Austin Wells, Trey Sweeney, and Spencer Jones, are all left-handed bats. Jasson Dominguez is a switch-hitter as well. However, only Wells may have an impact on the 2023 club, and not immediately.
The 25-year-old Estevan Florial has not sustained success in the major leagues and is out of alternatives.
Therefore, the Yankees may be forced to use their present roster as a stopgap until the trade deadline, when a better option may become available. The reality, however, is that the Yankees would be better off with the switch-hitting Cabrera as a better version of the switch-hitting Marwin Gonzalez — in other words, as someone Aaron Boone actually wants to play regularly — and with Hicks as the fourth outfielder, with the Yankees hoping at least his on-base percentage continues to provide value.
This variation would require them to use a left-handed bat in left field. But it is difficult. Using 3Up’s Nos. 2 and 3, let’s evaluate the trade and free-agent markets.
Reynolds asked for a trade before to the Winter Meetings. The Pirates responded with a statement indicating that they anticipate his presence on the squad in 2023. However, it was not explicitly stated that they would not trade him. But if they did move Reynolds, would the Pirates expose themselves to other players who could potentially force their way out by pressing the public eject button?
It only complicates a deal further, as does the fact that Reynolds is a desirable player. He is only owed $6.75 million in 2023, and cannot become a free agent until after the 2025 campaign. He is a switch-hitter with impressive power and base-running skills. In January he will turn 28, therefore he is currently in his prime. He may be the type of player who would benefit from being surrounded by greatness.
However, the teams with which I spoke regard him as a very good player, not a great one. In Pittsburgh, he has played center field, but he is not a center fielder. Yes, he may perform better with a strong squad. Since 2019, when Reynolds was a rookie, the Pirates have had the poorest record in the big leagues (211-395). Consequently, Reynolds is requesting a trade. In a competitive market, there must always be anxiety (see: Gallo, Joey) about switching from playing just insignificant games to only significant ones.
Bryan Reynolds is a desirable trade candidate, but the Pirates are reportedly seeking a huge return.
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Teams that have enquired about a trade with the Pirates have indicated that they are seeking a return of star caliber. And why wouldn’t they, given his age, control years, the lack of left-handed hitters on the market, and their desire to oppose the trade request? As one rival executive pointed out, the Pirates have done a terrific job in recent years of bolstering their farm system, so in exchange for Reynolds, it is all about the quality, not the quantity, of prospects.
That would imply someone like Volpe, and I don’t think the Yankees would be interested. Peraza may be too important to their 2023 ambitions as a starting shortstop — possibly from the beginning of the season — to include him. Consequently, if the Yankees are to acquire Reynolds, it may come down to how much the Pirates value Dominguez.
The publicity surrounding “The Martian” not only boosted Dominguez’s status, but also harmed a rookie who had not played much baseball. However, he has become a highly promising player with a high ceiling. Do the Pirates envision this switch-hitting outfielder being a player of Reynolds’ caliber in the future? Dominguez will not reach the age of 20 until February. Do Dominguez, Sweeney, and Clarke Schmidt constitute the core of a feasible agreement?
Remember that the Yankees acquired Jameson Taillon and Clay Holmes from the Pirates in important trades in the recent past, when the Yankees were in sync with the Pirates. The Pirates have only obtained one desirable (to date) item in those trades, starting pitcher Roansy Contreras.
If the price for Reynolds becomes excessive and/or another contender desperate for bats outbids the Yankees, where else may they look on the trade market?
Outfielder Jasson Dominguez of Double-A could be the Yankees’ most valuable trade asset.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
The Diamondbacks have a surplus of left-handed outfielders, and the Yankees have made contact with Arizona. Corbin Carroll, however, is very definitely unconquerable, and Daulton Varsho is not far behind.
According to clubs with whom Arizona has communicated, the Diamondbacks are attempting to compare Alek Thomas to Carroll and Varsho. Thomas’ ability to play center field (a position the Yankees do not need to fill because Harrison Bader is in place) improves his value. Before re-signing Brandon Nimmo, for instance, the Mets discussed Thomas with Arizona. Will teams think that Jake McCarthy’s breakthrough in 2022 is genuine? The Diamondbacks will absolutely market him as such.
Josh Rojas of the Diamondbacks, who primarily plays third base but has experience in the corner outfield, is a player I admire. The expansive left field at Yankee Stadium, though, is not suited for below-average outfielders.
I inquired about Cincinnati outfielders Jake Fraley and TJ Friedl, but the Yankees and Reds have not discussed these players. The A’s are always up for business, and despite the fact that Seth Brown possesses an intriguing bat, his defense is simply insufficient.
Is it possible that a team like the Cardinals (Alex Burleson), Guardians (Will Brennan), or Tigers (Kerry Carpenter) would trade a major league-ready lefty-hitting outfield prospect? Maybe. However, prospect-for-prospect trades are difficult to execute. Plus, performing well in Triple-A is distinct from doing so in the majors; if this were not the case, the Yankees could just select Florial.
My hunch is that the greatest path to a deal involves the Twins and Max Kepler. Kepler and Nick Gordon for Kiner-Falefa and Gleyber Torres. (Note to aggregators: I’m making this up as a trade I think could work for both teams; I have not heard of it.)
It is not difficult to imagine the Yankees trading for Twins outfielder Max Kepler (26).
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Why would the Twins act in this manner? Few clubs have more left-handed batters to choose from than the Twins, who added Gallo to their roster. Their greatest need is pitching. But had they been able to get desirable pitching in exchange for Kepler, they would have already done so.
Last year, the Twins traded for Kiner-Falefa to play shortstop before the Yankees called to continue negotiations with the Rangers to acquire Kiner-Falefa. The Twins hoped to retain Correa at shortstop throughout the offseason, but were unable. They acquired Kyle Farmer. Evidently, however, they favor Kiner-Falefa.
So too do the analytics, incidentally. He failed the Yankees’ eye test, particularly by playing sloppy defense in crucial situations. However, Baseball Reference listed him with a 3.0 WAR while Torres had a 4.1 WAR. Kepler was 2.1 and Gordon was 1.6 last year.
With Jorge Polanco at second base, the Twins must believe Torres can play third base (which he probably can). However, the DH berth is also available for rotation. The Twins would only make this move if they view Kiner-Falefa as a one-year stopgap shortstop (he is a free agent at the end of the season) and/or believe that Torres’ offensive resurgence began with last season.
This winter, the Twins have not discouraged teams from inquiring about AL hitting champion Luis Arraez. Even though Arraez has played some outfield, he is not a natural fit for the position. In addition, the Twins would almost probably need pitching to trade him.
Why would the Yankees do such a thing? They may also not be. Likewise, their analysts appreciate Kiner-Falefa. Torres’ bat is a factor, given that DJ LeMahieu and his ailing foot are not guaranteed to be well by the start of 2023, and Donaldson’s offensive decline renders him unreliable. Kepler can play left field defensively if he is healthy (a huge if), and Gordon, a left-handed hitter, might partner with Cabrera to offer the Yankees a tandem that can maneuver like chess pieces. Gordon does not conform to the Yankees’ model because he does not walk frequently enough to justify his strikeout rate. Did I mention that he bats left-handed? In addition, his OPS+ (113) previous season was nearly identical to Torres’ (114). And Gordon is not yet eligible for arbitration.
Kiner-Falefa is owed $6 million in 2023, while MLB Trade Rumors projects Torres’ next-to-last year of arbitration salary to be $9.8 million. Kepler is owed $8.5 million in 2023, with an option for $10 million or a $1 million buyout for 2024.
Kepler had 36 home runs and an OPS of.855 in 2019. Since then, he has not come near to that offensive player due to injury, the change, or the fact that that season was an anomaly. In the past three years, he has hit 37 home runs and maintained an OPS of.706.
The Yankees, on the other hand, would hope he remains healthy enough to defend and generate league-average offense as a left fielder. However, it is possible that the prohibition on dramatic shifts aids someone like Kepler. His hitting average on balls in play of.249 was tied for 18th-lowest among players with 400 plate appearances in 2017.
In 2022, Kepler put 326 balls into play. Eighty of these were pull-side grounders. This rate rated seventeenth out of 199 batters with at least 275 batted balls. Does Kepler have the potential for 10 more hits devoid of severe shifts? That would have increased Kepler’s batting average from.227 to.253 last season.
The Twins are betting that the ban on drastic shifts will benefit Gallo more than anyone else in the sport. And his presence, coupled with the continued presence of young left-handed outfielders Alex Kiriloff and Trevor Larnach, makes Kepler exceedingly accessible.
Who else remains available in free agency now that Benintendi has been signed? Michael Conforto has the most captivating name.
Michael Conforto, a free agent, is coming off a lengthy layoff due to right shoulder surgery, and he suffered a significant left shoulder injury during this 2017 Mets road trip.
However, Conforto has two significant issues. As a result of right shoulder surgery, he did not play in 2022. According to his agent, Scott Boras, his client is throwing frequently in preparation for the upcoming season. Any team that contracts him, though, must prepare for the potential that they will only have a designated hitter. Then, what type of DH? Conforto underperformed in 2021 and did not play in 2022; what is the effect on his swing of having had significant troubles with both shoulders?
Boras has also stated that he desires a two-year contract with a one-year opt-out for Conforto. However, this puts a great deal of risk on the team’s side. Conforto would only remain if he suffered an injury or performed so poorly that he could not earn more money on the open market.
When Conforto reaches an agreement, his physical examination will not be routine. A team will need to be quite confident in the condition of his shoulders, particularly his right (throwing) shoulder.
There is now a market for damaged-goods left-handed-hitting outfielders. Following hip surgery, Kevin Kiermaier signed a one-year, $9 million contract with the Blue Jays. After falling from All-Star to bench man for the Yankees and Dodgers, Gallo inked a one-year, $11 million contract with the Twins. Following shoulder surgery, Michael Brantley signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Astros. Cody Bellinger, who went from National League Most Valuable Player to being released by the Dodgers, signed a one-year, $17.5 million contract with the Cubs.
Note that these were all one-year deals, and that both Bellinger and Kiermaier benefit from playing center field at a high level. Boras also negotiated the larger deals for left-handed-hitting outfielders that sent Brandon Nimmo back to the Mets (eight years at $162 million) and sent Masataka Yoshida to the Red Sox (five years at $90 million).
David Peralta is one of the remaining unsigned outfielders in free agency.
Conforto’s one-year salary should likely be about $10 million, with the possibility of earning more through games played and/or plate appearance bonuses, based on the contracts of comparable players. However, without assurance that he can play the outfield, he would be a challenging signing for the Yankees.
In the remaining group, Robbie Grossman and Jurickson Profar are also switch-hitters (another Boras client). Formerly, Profar tempted the Yankees. His on-base abilities are also desirable. However, he opted out of a $7.5 million contract with the Padres for 2023, and it is unlikely that the Yankees will offer him a second year or a significantly greater salary in the first.
Jackie Bradley Jr., Kole Calhoun, Alex Dickerson, Corey Dickerson, Ben Gamel, Tyler Naquin, David Peralta, Magneuris Sierra, Dominic Smith, and Ramiel Tapia are the only players remaining. Smith is intriguing due of his ties to the Mets. However, he cannot play the large left field at Yankee Stadium. Bradley’s defense is a tremendous asset, but his offense has nearly become unplayable. If a player such as Gamel, Sierra, or Tapia receives a minor league contract, I could see the Yankees making a move to provide depth. They may even employ the same strategy with Bradley for the defense.
Peralta is the player I believe the Yankees would be most interested in acquiring as a stopgap until something potentially superior becomes available in July. Before being dealt to Tampa Bay, he performed effectively for Arizona previous season (12 home runs, 118 OPS-plus in 310 plate appearances) (0 homers, 92 OPS-plus in 180 plate appearances). Next season, he will be 35 years old, which may be an indication that his career is coming to an end.
However, he was a productive player before to the July 30 move. I see no reason why he would not be a league-average left fielder, albeit not quite as proficient as Benintendi. Benintendi was the ideal candidate because he was capable of playing left field. He was a contact-oriented left-handed hitter to counteract the right-handed batters’ tendency to strike out. He was evaluated in Boston and New York’s major markets.
Once he was taken off the market, the Yankees were placed in a far more difficult position to find a solution.