Well, baseball fans, games may not be played at the moment, but the season never stops. The MLB hot stove is heating up quickly as trade rumors and free agents are taking over the winter.
Obviously, this offseason is headlined with the likes of free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, but there’s more on the market than just those two perennial superstars. Intriguing players like Diamondbacks’ Patrick Corbin, Houston’s Dallas Keuchel and Marwin Gonzalez, and Red Sox’s Craig Kimbrel and Nathan Eovaldi are all free agents. Trade rumors are in full swing.
Former MVP Josh Donaldson was just traded to the already well-built Atlanta Braves. Giants’ postseason legend, Madison Bumgarner, is rumored to be on the trading block, as well as Cleveland’s multi-Cy Young award winner, Corey Kluber, and Carlos Carrasco. Recently, the Mariners’ star, Robinson Cano, is rumored to be traded to either the Yankees or the Mets.
The latter case is really intriguing. Cano came up into baseball and played his first several seasons with the Yankees, winning a World Series title with them and being a star player in every season. He was then signed by the Mariners to a 10-year contract and offered more money than with the Yankees, so he walked.
This past season, he tested positive for an illegal substance under the MLB Drug Policy, hurting his stock. However, he batted .317 in the remaining few weeks after he returned from the suspension and batted .303 for the season, while also still providing solid defensive numbers. Ergo, his value is still high for a club in need of a solid infielder who can handle the bat. However, the negative side to his stock is that contract I eluded to.
He is owed close to $120 million and has five years left on the contract with a full no-trade clause (meaning if the team wished to trade him, it would have to be approved by him). Cano is 35-years-old and will turn 36 during the season in 2019. Executives must ask themselves if a 36-year-old player is worth over $20 million a year. In the case of the Yankees, specifically, he is interesting.
With their shortstop, Didi Gregorious, on the disabled list for most of next season because of an invasive elbow surgery, their star second baseman, Gleyber Torres, will likely be asked to move to shortstop, leaving second base open. Cano would slide right in and be a very capable fit.
And, in the rumors of the Yankees signing Machado, who’s expected to get upwards of $30 million a year, the Yankees would actually be saving money while solving the same issue.
Furthermore, there has been talk from executives that the Yankees’ Jacoby Ellsbury is expected to be part of that trade for Cano. This alleviates what has shaped up to be one of the worst contracts ever devised by Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman, while also asking the Mariners to swallow some of the Cano contract which would make him cheaper.
All in all, if the Yankees acquire Cano, they will bolster their infield defense, which was rather suspect last season, while also adding a great left-handed hitter to their right-handed dominant lineup. It seems to make sense. That being said, the offseason has just begun, yet it feels like it’s in full swing, so stay tuned baseball fans.