Dodgers Acquire Nick Ramirez, Transfer Brusdar Graterol To 60-Day Injured List
The Yankees have traded left-hander Nick Ramirez to the Dodgers for cash considerations, per announcements from both clubs. Ramirez had been designated for assignment on the weekend. The Dodgers opened a 40-man roster spot by transferring righty Brusdar Graterol to the 60-day injured list.
Ramirez, 34, was a bit of a surprising cut from the Yankee roster. He tossed 40 2/3 innings last year with an earned run average of 2.66. His 16.3% strikeout rate was on the low side but his 47.4% ground ball rate was a bit better than average and his 5.2% walk rate was excellent. But the club used a number of pitchers in their first two games of the season and wanted to add Tanner Tully as a fresh arm and Ramirez got squeezed out.
Perhaps they were a bit skeptical of the sample size, as Ramirez had a career ERA of 4.55 coming into last year, with a 9.5% walk rate that was much closer to average than what he did in 2023. But he’s always had good results at Triple-A, having posted a 2.98 ERA in 200 appearances over seven different seasons at that level.
He’ll give the Dodgers another left-handed relief option, which is a bit of a weak spot on the roster at the moment. Alex Vesia and Ryan Yarbrough are the two other southpaws in the bullpen, but the latter is used more for long relief as opposed to situations where a manager would specifically want a lefty. Ramirez also has an option remaining and can be kept in the minors until needed.
The Dodgers had a 40-man roster spot to use since they evidently don’t expect Graterol to return prior to the middle of May. He battled hip soreness and shoulder soreness throughout the spring and only made one official appearance. He has reportedly been making progress of late but will effectively need to redo Spring Training by spending a few weeks ramping up and getting into game shape.
Since the Dodgers started their season early with the Seoul Series, he was placed on the 15-day IL back on March 19, meaning he’s already two weeks into his 60-day count and can return about six weeks from now if he’s healthy and build up by then.
Yankees To Select Jake Cousins
The Yankees are planning to add right-hander Jake Cousins to their roster, per Erik Boland of Newsday Sports. The righty was just acquired from the White Sox yesterday. He’s not yet on the 40-man and will require a corresponding move.
Cousins, 29, is coming off a challenging season. He was only able to toss 9 1/3 innings in the majors, allowing five earned runs, while getting frequently optioned to the minors and also landing on the injured list due to right shoulder inflammation at one point. He went from the Brewers to the Astros via a waiver claim and had a 6.35 earned run average in the minors between those two clubs.
But he had thrown 43 1/3 innings for the Brewers over 2021 and 2022 with a much nicer ERA of 2.70. His 14.7% walk rate was on the high side but he was able to strike out 35.3% of opponents. His poor performance in 2023 led to him being outrighted by the Astros and then settling for a minor league deal with the White Sox. He appeared to be in good form in the spring, tossing seven innings with just one earned run allowed, striking out 11 opponents while walking just two.
The Yanks seem to think the strong results from the Cactus League are a good sign that Cousins can put last year behind him and get back on track. They sent cash to the Sox yesterday to get Cousins in their system and will now give him a roster spot as well. Cousins still has an option, so he can provide the bullpen with a fresh arm and also give the club the flexibility to send him to the minors at some point later in the year. He has just under two years of service time and can therefore be retained for future seasons if he sticks on the 40-man through the year.
Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Cardinals Among Teams Scouting Roki Sasaki
Eight MLB teams sent representatives to watch NPB ace Roki Sasaki‘s latest start, according to articles from Sports Hochi and Yahoo Japan, as relayed by Dylan Hernández of The Los Angeles Times and Andy Martino of SNY, respectively. Among those teams were the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, and Cardinals.
Sasaki is just 22 years old and already one of the best pitchers in Japan. Over three NPB seasons, he has thrown 283 2/3 innings with 376 strikeouts and a 2.00 ERA. The ace made headlines last winter when he reportedly asked to be posted for MLB teams well ahead of the typical timeline – MLB does not allow players under 25 years old and with fewer than six professional seasons to sign anything more than a minor league contract. Ultimately, Sasaski re-signed with the Chiba Lotte Marines, temporarily putting a stop to any talk of his being posted. Still, he could make the same request this coming offseason. While he might be forfeiting a massive free agent payday if he is posted before his 25th birthday, he has made no secret of his desire to pitch in MLB.
It’s no surprise, then, that several MLB teams are showing interest in Sasaski. However, the two-time NPB All-Star might have already decided where he wants to pitch in 2025 and beyond. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, “several GMs” are under the impression that Sasaki “already has plans to sign with the Dodgers” during the 2024-25 offseason.
According to one general manager, “There’s no way he’s going anywhere else but the Dodgers. We all know it.” While that particular comment was spoken in no uncertain terms, it also sounds more like conjecture than insider knowledge. Indeed, this entire report may be more speculation on the part of the executives than anything else. After all, at least seven teams besides the Dodgers are actively scouting Sasaski, and they wouldn’t be doing so if they didn’t think they had a chance to secure his services in the future. Moreover, even if Sasaki truly does have his sights set on the Dodgers, the rest of the league will still have an opportunity to change his mind.
Yankees Acquire Jake Cousins
The Yankees have acquired right-hander Jake Cousins from the White Sox, both teams announced. The White Sox will receive cash considerations in return. Cousins signed a minor league contract with Chicago in December and was not on the 40-man roster.
Cousins, 29, is coming off an impressive spring in which he struck out 11 and walked just two in seven innings of work. He gave up a lone earned run on five hits, although he also allowed three unearned runs. Despite his strong spring stats, the righty was unable to crack the White Sox Opening Day roster.
Drafted by the Nationals in 2017 and released less than two years later, Cousins rebuilt his value with the Schaumburg Boomers of the Frontier League over the first few months of the 2019 season. He pitched well enough to catch the Brewers’ attention that summer, and two years later, he made his MLB debut with Milwaukee. In 30 appearances during the 2021 season, he pitched to a 2.70 ERA and 3.60 SIERA, with seven holds and an impressive 35.2% strikeout rate.
Cousins got off to a bumpy start in 2022 before suffering a UCL injury. However, he opted not to have Tommy John surgery and returned a few months later. He looked quite sharp upon his return, putting up a 2.66 ERA and 3.62 FIP in 22 minor league appearances and tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings at the MLB level. Unfortunately, he struggled to recapture that success in 2023. Cousins gave up 15 earned runs over 22 2/3 innings with the Brewers between the minors and majors. He was DFA’d at the trade deadline and claimed by the Astros. He did not make it back to the majors with Houston and gave up another 10 earned runs in 15 innings at Triple-A.
Presumably, Cousins will report to the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. Given his previous major league experience and brief run of success with the Brewers, he could certainly see time in the Yankees bullpen this year. He has one option year remaining.
Yankees Designate Nick Ramirez For Assignment
The Yankees have designated lefty Nick Ramirez for assignment, per a team announcement. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to fellow lefty Tanner Tully, whose contract is being selected from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Manager Aaron Boone announced not long ago that Tully would be selected but didn’t divulge a corresponding move.
It’s a somewhat surprising DFA, given Ramirez’s solid performance in 2023 and strong spring showing. The 34-year-old logged 40 2/3 innings out of Boone’s bullpen last year and recorded a 2.66 ERA. His 16.3% strikeout rate was well shy of the league average, but Ramirez’s 5.2% walk rate was outstanding and his 47.4% grounder rate was sharp as well. This spring, he pitched 10 1/3 innings and allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk with nine strikeouts and a huge 62% ground-ball rate.
Ramirez didn’t make the Opening Day roster with the Yankees, however, and it seems that for the time being anyhow, they prefer to turn to Tully to add some length in the bullpen rather than the more straightforward move to recall Ramirez. In doing so, they’ll now have a week to trade Ramirez, attempt to pass him through outright waivers or release him. He’s been outrighted previously in his career, so he’d be able to reject an outright assignment even if he clears waivers.
In parts of four big league seasons between the Tigers, Padres and Yankees, Ramirez has tallied 151 1/3 innings with a 4.04 ERA and fielding-independent marks that more or less support that level of performance (4.15 FIP, 4.33 SIERA). He doesn’t throw hard, sitting 90-91 with his fastball, and his 19.3% strikeout rate is below par. But Ramirez has solid control and ground-ball tendencies, just as he showed in 2023, and has virtually no platoon split. Ramirez is in his final minor league option year and has four years of club control remaining.
Yankees To Select Tanner Tully
The Yankees are set to option right-hander Clayton Beeter and select the contract of left-hander Tanner Tully, manager Aaron Boone announced before today’s game (X link via Greg Joyce of the New York Post). They’ll need to make a corresponding 40-man roster move, but the Yankees have not yet announced what that’ll be.
Tully, 29, has just six major league innings under his belt — all coming with the 2022 Guardians. He allowed four runs on eight hits and six walks in that short sample of work. Cleveland selected Tully in the 26th round back in 2016, and he spent the next seven seasons in their system, working primarily as a starting pitcher in the minors. Following that cup of coffee in the majors in ’22, he was removed from the 40-man roster and became a free agent, ultimately signing a minor league deal with the Yankees.
It proved to be a brief stint with the Yankees, as Tully made 19 starts in Triple-A before being granted his release to sign with the NC Dinos of the Korea Baseball Organization. He made 11 starts for the Dinos in the final couple months of the season, tossing 64 2/3 frames of 2.92 ERA ball with a 17.7% strikeout rate, 4.9% walk rate and 59.6% ground-ball rate. The Yankees brought Tully back on a minor league deal over the winter, and he’ll now make his first appearance on the big league roster.
The Yankees burned through five relievers yesterday after Carlos Rodon lasted only 4 1/3 innings in his first start of the year. They also needed four innings from the ‘pen following a five-inning Opening Day outing by Nestor Cortes. Tully will provide a multi-inning option to give them some length in the event of a short start from Marcus Stroman or should the game get out of hand one way or another. In parts of five Triple-A seasons, Tully has a 5.06 ERA with an 18.7% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate. He pitched six innings for the Yankees this spring and yielded one run on four hits and a walk with two strikeouts.
DJ LeMahieu Diagnosed With Fracture In Foot
Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu opened the season on the injured list with what the team termed a foot contusion after he fouled a ball into himself late in camp. The team said yesterday he’d been slated for a second MRI because the swelling had taken so long to go down, and it appears this new round of imaging revealed a more notable injury. Manager Aaron Boone told the Yankees beat today that the new round of imaging revealed a non-displaced fracture (X link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). He’ll be reevaluated in two weeks but is now clearly facing a lengthier absence than originally anticipated.
The Yankees made a late-spring trade to acquire utilityman Jon Berti from the Marlins, sending catcher Ben Rortvedt to the Rays and outfield prospect John Cruz to the Marlins in a three-team swap. Berti’s presence on the roster will be all the more important now. The Yankees didn’t provide a timeline beyond that two-week reevaluation, but at the very least LeMahieu will be sidelined into late April — although an absence extending beyond that seems likely.
LeMahieu, 35, is in the fourth season of a six-year, $90MM contract. He came to spring training hoping to rebound from a down year at the plate, by his standards (.243/.327/.390, 101 wRC+), but he struggled in 29 spring plate appearances and will now face an prolonged absence to begin the year.
With LeMahieu and prospect Oswald Peraza (shoulder strain) both on the injured list for what’s likely to be a notable period, the Yankees will use Berti and fellow utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera at the hot corner early in the season. Cabrera has started each of the team’s first two games and gotten out to a hot start, going 6-for-9 with a home run and a double.
Yankees Acquire JT Brubaker From Pirates
The Yankees have acquired right-hander JT Brubaker and international bonus pool space from the Pirates for a player to be named later, per announcements from both clubs. Prior to the official announcements, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported on that Brubaker was going to the Yanks for a PTBNL. The righty is on the 60-day injured list, recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery. He won’t need a roster spot with the Yankees but won’t be available to them immediately. Per Stumpf, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Brubaker is targeting a return around the All-Star break. He’s controllable via arbitration through the 2025 season. The bonus pool money is worth $550K, per Francys Romero.
Brubaker, 30, missed the entire 2023 season after requiring Tommy John in mid-April. In the three preceding seasons, he had been one of the steadier arms on Pittsburgh’s staff. He tossed 315 2/3 innings over the 2020 to 2022 campaigns, one of which was shortened by the pandemic, with an earned run average of 4.99.
Though that ERA may not be terribly exciting, it’s possible that it doesn’t represent his true skill level, with some underlying metrics painting a more favorable picture. He struck out 23.3% of batters faced in that stretch and walked 7.8%, with both of those numbers being slightly better than average for a starting pitcher in the modern game. His 44% ground ball rate was also right around typical league average.
The discrepancy may be down to luck, as his .313 batting average on balls in play and 70.1% strand rate have both been on the unfortunate side of par. ERA estimators like his 4.43 FIP and 4.04 SIERA suggest he may have deserved better. That was especially true in 2022, when he had a 4.69 ERA but a 3.92 FIP and 3.97 SIERA.
But it’s also possible the difference is down to Brubaker’s struggles with lefties, something explored by MLBTR’s Anthony Franco prior to Brubaker’s surgery. He only throws his changeup about 5.5% of the time and hasn’t had great results with it, meaning he doesn’t have a great weapon for tackling lefty hitters. They have hit .269/.339/.481 against him, compared to a line of .272/.342/.391 from righty-swinging opponents.
Whether the Yankees can help Brubaker find another gear remains to be seen, but there’s likely some appeal even if he remains a back-of-the-rotation kind of guy. The Yankees were looking for starting pitching this offseason, even after signing Marcus Stroman. Their need for rotation reinforcements was only increased with the recent news that Gerrit Cole is going to miss some time with an elbow issue.
Cole and Brubaker may be on somewhat similar timelines, as Cole was also placed on the 60-day IL, putting him on the shelf until at least late May but with an uncertain timeline after that. Brubaker won’t be able to help out during Cole’s absence but other injuries could crop up throughout the season that could require reinforcements. The Yankees currently have Stroman, Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodón in three rotation spots, all three of whom missed significant time last year. Luis Gil won a rotation spot out of camp despite missing most of the past two seasons recovering from his own Tommy John surgery.
Brubaker comes into 2024 with exactly four years of service time. He first qualified for arbitration going into 2023 and earned a salary of $2.275MM. After sitting out the whole campaign, he agreed to the same mark this year, with one more arbitration season remaining.
For the Bucs, they were looking at another season and a half of Brubaker’s services, including next year and the post-All-Star portion of 2024. Once healthy, he would have been entering a rotation mix that currently consists of Mitch Keller, Martín Pérez, Marco Gonzales, Jared Jones and Bailey Falter, but prospects like Paul Skenes and Quinn Priester might be in there by midseason. Bubba Chandler will be a bit behind that group and Johan Oviedo, who will miss 2024 due to his own Tommy John, will be back in the picture next year.
General manager Ben Cherington spoke to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, saying that the club preferred to get something in return now. That return is unknown at this time but will become more clear when the PTBNL is revealed. In the meantime, they will save a small amount of money.
The Yanks will be taking on slightly more than the Bucs are saving, since they are over the fourth line of the competitive balance tax and a third-time payor. That means they are paying a 110% tax on any money they add to the payroll at this point. On top of Brubaker’s $2.275MM salary, they will also have to pay $2.5025MM in taxes.
If Brubaker is healthy in a few months but the Yankee rotation is in decent shape, he has a couple of options and could be sent to Triple-A. That could provide the club with some extra depth, it could also give them an extra year of control. As mentioned, Brubaker is coming into 2024 with exactly four years of service time. He’s currently accruing more service time while on the 60-day IL but an optional assignment of a few weeks would prevent him from getting to the five-year mark this year.
Regardless of how that plays out, the Yankees are adding some rotation depth for the latter half of this year and for the future as well. Additionally, they’ve added some unknown amount of international bonus pool space. The Bucs have saved a bit of money and bolstered their system with another player who is presumably younger and more controllable than Brubaker, though the details of their return have not yet emerged.
Offseason In Review: New York Yankees
The Yankees’ offseason was highlighted by a blockbuster trade, but some major injury concerns have threatened to undermine New York’s work in upgrading the roster.
Major League Signings
- Marcus Stroman, SP: Two years, $37MM (Stroman receives $18MM player option for 2026 with at least 140 IP in 2026)
- Luke Weaver, SP/RP: One year, $2MM ($2.5MM club option for 2025)
- Lou Trivino, RP: One year, $1.5MM ($5MM club option for 2025)
- Cody Poteet, SP/RP: One year, $750K (split contract, Poteet earns $200K in minors)
2023 spending: $23.25MM
Total spending: $41.25MM
Trades & Claims
- Acquired OF Juan Soto and OF Trent Grisham from Padres for SP Michael King, C Kyle Higashioka, SP Jhony Brito, SP Randy Vasquez, minor league SP Drew Thorpe
- Acquired OF Alex Verdugo from Red Sox for RP Greg Weissert and minor league RHPs Richard Fitts and Nicholas Judice
- Acquired RP Caleb Ferguson from Dodgers for RP Matt Gage and minor league RHP Christian Zazueta
- Acquired IF/OF Jon Berti from Marlins for C Ben Rortvedt (to Tampa) and minor league OF John Cruz (to Miami) as part of a three-team trade with Marlins and Rays. The Marlins also acquire minor league OF Shane Sasaki in the deal.
- Acquired RP Victor Gonzalez and minor league IF Jorbit Vivas from Dodgers for minor league IF Trey Sweeney
- Acquired SP/RP Cody Morris from Guardians for OF Estevan Florial
- Acquired minor league OFs Jace Avina and Brian Sanchez from Brewers for 1B/OF Jake Bauers
- Acquired RP Clayton Andrews from Brewers for minor league RHP Joshua Quezada,
- Acquired international bonus pool money from Pirates for OF Billy McKinney
- Acquired cash considerations from Orioles for RP Matt Krook
- Claimed OF Oscar Gonzalez off waivers from Guardians
- Claimed IF/OF Jahmai Jones off waivers from Brewers
- Claimed IF Jeter Downs off waivers from Nationals
- Claimed IF Jordan Groshans off waivers from Marlins
- Claimed RP McKinley Moore off waivers from Phillies
Notable Minor League Signings
- Nick Burdi (contract selected), Kevin Smith, Greg Allen, Luis Torrens, Anthony Misiewicz, Dennis Santana, Josh VanMeter, Jose Rojas, Luis Gonzalez, Duane Underwood Jr., Yerry De Los Santos, Tanner Tully
Notable Losses
- King, Higoshioka, Brito, Vasquez, Thorpe, Weissert, Rortvedt, Florial, Bauers, McKinney, Luis Severino, Wandy Peralta, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Frankie Montas, Keynan Middleton, Domingo German, Franchy Cordero, Jimmy Cordero, Ryan Weber, Matt Bowman
Juan Soto and Aaron Judge hitting back-to-back is a pitcher’s worst nightmare, and having Gleyber Torres and a healthy Anthony Rizzo bookend those two elite sluggers in the lineup should also cause a few sleepless evenings. Between this impressive top of the lineup, and fresh input from newly-hired hitting coach James Rowson and assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler, there is plenty of hope that the Yankees can improve upon their strangely punchless offense from the 2023 season.
Soto is slated to hit free agency next winter as he heads into his age-26 season, and the outfielder and agent Scott Boras surely have an eye towards the biggest non-Shohei Ohtani contract in baseball history. Since the Yankees are one of the few teams who can afford such an expenditure, it’s certainly possible this won’t be Soto’s only season in the Bronx, but New York paid quite a premium for just one guaranteed year of Soto’s services.
Kyle Higashioka may have been expendable within the Yankees’ catching depth chart, but the real score for the Padres in the Soto trade was four talented and controllable young pitchers. Michael King emerged as an intriguing starter with New York last year and looks to step right into San Diego’s rotation — at worst, King can be a lockdown reliever for the Padres if he doesn’t stick as a starting pitcher. Drew Thorpe is a top-100 prospect who the Padres flipped to the White Sox as part of the Dylan Cease trade package. Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez are also big league-ready arms and one of them likely would’ve won a rotation job had Cease not been acquired.
Trent Grisham was the other player acquired from San Diego, and though he is only earning $5.5MM via an arbitration-avoiding deal, his inclusion in the trade may have been a bit of a salary dump from a Padres deal that was eager to payroll this winter. (Obviously Soto was the pricier figure in this equation, as his $31MM salary for 2024 is the highest ever given to a an arbitration player.) Grisham is an outstanding defender whose hitting has dropped off over the last two seasons, and he seems to be ticketed for at least backup duty within an intriguing Yankees outfield mix.
The first-choice outfield alignment looks to be Soto in right field, Judge in center field, and new acquisition Alex Verdugo as the left field starter at least against right-handed pitching. When a southpaw is on the mound, the Yankees will probably use Judge in left field and Grisham will step into center field. Giancarlo Stanton will get most of the DH at-bats and might get some occasional looks in the outfield, though as GM Brian Cashman rather bluntly stated last November, it may simply be unlikely that Stanton can stay healthy for the entire season. Judge figures to get a good dose of DH usage regardless of Stanton’s availability, since one of the Yankees’ chief priorities this year is keeping Judge healthy amidst the added physical strain of regular center field work.
A rare trade between the Yankees and Red Sox brought Verdugo into the fold, and between Verdugo and Soto, New York now has two legitimate left-handed bats to help balance out a lineup that was overloaded with right-handed hitters. Verdugo has been exactly a league-average (100 wRC+, 100 OPS+) hitter over the last two seasons, and given the whispers of behind-the-scenes discord with Boston manager Alex Cora, a change of scenery might be just what Verdugo needs to get on track.
An in-form Verdugo, a healthy Stanton, and steps forward from highly-touted youngsters Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells would suddenly make the lineup look a lot more Bronx Bomber-esque, rather than simply “improved.” A rebound year from DJ LeMahieu would also help, but the infielder’s 2024 season has gotten off to a rough start with a bone bruise that will begin his season on the injured list.
The Yankees had been looking for infield and utility depth even before LeMahieu got hurt, as Oswald Peraza is facing an extended absence while recovering from a shoulder strain. The need was finally filled just yesterday when Jon Berti was acquired as part of a three-team trade with the Marlins and Rays. Berti brings a ton of speed and defensive versatility to the roster, and his ability to draw walks and make contact has led to some occasional above-average offensive production over his six MLB seasons.
Landing Berti came at the cost of catcher Ben Rortvedt and minor league outfielder John Cruz, though New York is confident that Wells is ready to take on a larger share of the catching duties with Jose Trevino. Wells’ defense could be the x-factor in whether or not he can move into a full platoon or even a playing-time edge over Trevino, and gauging by Wells’ minor league numbers, his bat is at least ready for the Show. In other bench news, waiver claim Jahmai Jones won a spot on the Opening Day roster, and he brings more multi-positional utility to the mix.
The aforementioned search for a utilityman type led the Yankees to explore such free agents as Enrique Hernandez, Tony Kemp, Amed Rosario, and old friends Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Gio Urshela. In terms of position players, the Yankees made some more high-profile explorations, as the team had interest in the likes of Cody Bellinger, Jung Hoo Lee, Jeimer Candelario, Kevin Kiermaier, and probably several other free agents whose talks with the Bombers weren’t publicized.
Since the Soto trade was completed in early December, it seems as though the Yankees decided relatively early to go with the one-year strike for Soto rather than a longer-term deal with Bellinger or even Lee as their major offensive addition of the winter. Cashman’s front office couldn’t have known at the time that Bellinger’s market would be limited enough that he would settle for an opt-out laden three-year, $80MM deal with the Cubs, and naturally it makes sense that the Yankees would want to pounce on Soto and solidify the lineup as early as possible. It’s easy to say this with hindsight being 20-20, but if New York had been comfortable enough to try and wait Bellinger out, the team could’ve landed a big bat at a lower average annual value than Soto, and King and company might still be on the roster.
Or, the Yankees might have flipped King, Thorpe, Brito, or Vasquez in another trade, perhaps for a frontline starter with more big league experience. There is some irony in Thorpe being a centerpiece of the Padres’ Cease deal given how the Yankees themselves talked at length with the White Sox about Cease, but it seemed like Chicago’s insistence on landing Spencer Jones in any Cease trade package was a deal-breaker for New York.
Even though offense was the team’s larger need heading into the offseason, the Yankees were reportedly involved in the bidding for several starters and relievers, on both the free agent and trade fronts. Beyond Cease, the long list of pitchers the Yankees at least checked in on included Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Corbin Burnes, Shane Bieber, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Shota Imanaga, Josh Hader, Yariel Rodriguez, Michael Lorenzen, Jordan Hicks, Robert Stephenson, Hector Neris, Phil Maton, Ryan Brasier, and two of New York’s own free agents in Wandy Peralta (who signed with the Padres) and Keynan Middleton (with the Cardinals).
Yamamoto was one of the chief targets, and was reportedly offered a ten-year, $300MM deal (with two opt-out clauses) to begin his Major League tenure in the Bronx. Yamamoto passed on that contract for a 12-year, $325MM deal with the Dodgers, as his decision might’ve been influenced by such factors as a big $50MM signing bonus, the flexibility offered by the six-man Los Angeles rotation, and of course the chance to play with a Japanese baseball icon like Ohtani.
Jordan Montgomery was another former Yankee who drew attention from his old club, as the Bombers were said to be in on the left-hander up until the moment Montgomery finally landed with the Diamondbacks for a one-year deal with a vesting player option for 2025. Blake Snell was on the Yankees’ radar for much of the offseason, and the team’s reported six-year, $150MM offer to Snell in January stands as the largest offer known to have been on the table throughout Snell’s own extended stay in free agency. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner ended up signing a two-year, $62MM deal with the Giants that includes an opt-out next winter, as the Bombers didn’t revisit their six-year offer after moving onto Marcus Stroman as a rotation alternative.
Stroman inked a two-year deal worth $37MM in guaranteed money, and another $18MM could become available via a vesting player option for the 2026 season. With two All-Star nods and a history of success in the AL East on his resume, Stroman is a nice get for the Yankees, and his grounder-heavy approach should play well with New York’s solid infield defense. Injuries marred the back half of what was looking like a great 2023 campaign for Stroman with the Cubs, however, and adding to the list of health issues facing the Yankees rotation.
Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodon combined for only 127 2/3 innings last year, leaving both starters in pursuit of bounce-backs. Clarke Schmidt pitched decently well in his first full MLB season, and Luis Gil pitched well enough in Spring Training that New York will use Gil as the fifth starter, though Gil himself has only 33 1/3 career innings in the majors and missed all of 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
The biggest question mark of all, however, is one of the Yankees’ most indispensable players. Gerrit Cole will open the season on the 60-day injured list, meaning he won’t be an option until at least late May as he recovers from nerve inflammation and edema in his throwing elbow. Missing at least two months is naturally still an infinitely preferable scenario to the initial worry that Cole might need some kind of season-ending surgery, yet the Yankees still have to navigate a big chunk of the season without arguably the sport’s best pitcher. It isn’t a coincidence that the team’s interest in Snell and Montgomery seemed to spark back up after the news broke of Cole’s injury, but it looks like the Yankees will rely on Gil and their internal arms to hold the fort until Cole is able to return.
Even a late strike for Snell or Montgomery at a relative discount price would have had serious financial implications. RosterResource’s projections put the Yankees’ payroll at $299.7MM, and their luxury tax number at just over $310.5MM. The latter figure puts New York well over the highest tax threshold of $297MM, after the team just barely stayed under the $297MM number in 2023. Since 2024 will be the Yankees’ third consecutive year of surpassing the luxury tax, it all adds up a whopping 110% tax added to any further payroll additions the Yankees might make.
It’s perhaps a reach to say that a team with such a gigantic payroll is hugely concerned with an even larger tax bill, as there’s certainly more pressure for the Yankees to get back into contention. Yet, the Bombers did keep their free agent spending relatively in check, and the $30MM average annual values offered to Yamamoto and Snell seemed to represent something of a limit to how much New York was willing to offer. Soto, Torres, Verdugo, Clay Holmes, and (pending a club option) Rizzo are all free agents next winter, representing some significant money coming off the books for the Yankees as they decide how to reload for 2025.
Though the relief corps was pretty successful last year, New York heads into Opening Day with some noteworthy changes in the bullpen. With Peralta, Middleton, and former relief stalwart King all gone, the Yankees will look to make up those innings with Caleb Ferguson and Victor Gonzalez (both acquired in separate trades with the Dodgers) and minor league signing Nick Burdi. Luke Weaver was re-signed to a low-cost guaranteed deal, and Cody Morris, Cody Poteet, and any number of other pitchers already in the farm system or signed to minor league contracts could emerge as the season progresses. The Yankees and pitching coach Matt Blake have developed a knack for getting good results out of unheralded bullpen options, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see some other unexpected name or a pitcher not even currently in the organization emerging for some high-leverage work later on in the season.
Between the flurry of additions big and small, it was a busy winter in the Bronx, which isn’t surprising for a Yankees team coming off a rare non-playoff season. Players and team executives either hinted or outright stated last fall that some changes had to be made to get the club back into contention, extending from both roster moves to more clubhouse-related issues like Judge’s desire to see a difference in both the type of analytical information presented to the players, and in how this info is presented. These types of alterations aren’t as public as the sight of Soto wearing Yankees pinstripes, of course, and despite all of the roster moves and internal fixes, ultimately a lot of the Yankees’ success in 2024 might simply hinge on Cole’s health.
How would you grade the Yankees' offseason?
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B 49% (1,261)
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C 21% (537)
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A 19% (483)
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F 6% (149)
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D 6% (143)
Total votes: 2,573
Yankees Place Gerrit Cole On 60-Day Injured List
The Yankees announced a series of Opening Day roster moves today, with right-hander Gerrit Cole placed on the 60-day injured list. His 40-man roster spot will go to right-hander Nick Burdi, who was previously reported to have made the club.
Over recent weeks, Cole and the Yankees got a big scare when he was dealing with some elbow issues and was sent for testing. While this led to all kinds of panic about possible surgery and lengthy absences, the eventual news ended up being on the mild side compared to those doomsday scenarios. He was diagnosed with nerve inflammation and edema and recommended for non-surgical rehab.
That’s obviously a better outcome than sitting out the entire year or longer, but he’s still going to miss some time. His return will depend on how he progresses in the coming weeks but it’s been suggested he’s at least a month or two away from coming back. This move means he’ll be ineligible to be activated until late May, so the Yankees evidently don’t think he’ll be able to return before then.
In the meantime, the Yanks will roll out a rotation of Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil to start the season.