Yankees “Willing” To Make Massive Contract Offer To Superstar; Could Unexpected Development Happen?

The New York Yankees find themselves in a unique situation. Despite making considerable off-season improvements, New York might not be the favorite in the American League East. Now in an even better position, the Baltimore Orioles won 101 games in the previous season. On Thursday, Baltimore acquired former Milwaukee Brewers star Corbin Burnes in a major trade. The 29-year-old is now among the best throwers in the American League and has already won one Cy Young Award in addition to three All-Star selections.

The New York Yankees are in a special position right now. In the American League East, New York may not be the favorite despite making significant off-season upgrades. The Baltimore Orioles finished the previous season with 101 wins, which puts them in an even stronger position now. Corbin Burnes, a former star of the Milwaukee Brewers, was acquired by Baltimore on Thursday in a significant transaction. In addition to being selected to three All-Star teams, the 29-year-old is currently one of the top throwers in the American League and has already won one Cy Young Award.

It’s been reported that the Yankees have pulled their offer to Snell but he remains available. New York clearly has money to spend and if Snell’s demands start to go down, why not take a chance on him? New York seems to be going all in on the 2024 campaign because of the fact that Juan Soto could leave in free agency. Why not take a major swing and bring in one of the best pitchers in baseball?

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After the Orioles deal Corbin Burnes, the Yankees have two decisions to choose.

Spring training begins for MLB teams in two weeks as franchises round out their rosters and make last-minute moves for the 2024 season. Most moves this deep into the offseason don’t exactly move the needle, but the Baltimore Orioles took it upon themselves to make a blockbuster trade for 2021 National League Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes. It’s the sort of acquisition that puts opposing teams on notice, espeically Balitmore’s foes in the stacked AL East. One of those rivals, the New York Yankees, are usually the ones making the big moves.

In what way will the Bronx Bombers react to the addition of the Orioles? As much as Yankees supporters would like to hear this, New York is probably done with major offseason trades. The Yankees signed 2023 All-Star Marcus Stroman in January to strengthen the rotation after acquiring superstar outfielder Juan Soto in a December deal.

Looking at the Yankees roster, it’s hard to see where exactly the holes are. There is plenty of talent and the roster is basically set aside from a few bullpen decisions. Not to mention the Yankees already have four massive contracts on the books and the highest projected payroll in baseball, things that make another splash move difficult for New York to pull off.

As it currently stands, the Yankees have a team on paper that should contend for the AL East and be one of the six playoff teams in the American League. “On paper” doesn’t always translate to the field though, as was the case last season for the Yankees.

The Yankees shouldn’t panic because the Orioles acquired Corbin Burnes. There are moves they can make before and during the season that can counter it though.

It’s much easier said than done, but the Yankees have to move on from Giancarlo Stanton. The once-feared slugger’s career with the Yankees has been marred by injury and falling short of expectations, both of which were the story of his 2023 season.

Stanton missed 61 games last season as he was placed on the injured list for the eighth time in his six seasons in New York. When he was healthy, the 2017 NL MVP had his worst season at the plate, hitting a career-low .191 with a .695 OPS.

Reports are that the Yankees like what Stanton has done this offseason as he’s expected to retain his place as New York’s primary designated hitter, but it’s hard to ignore Brian Cashman’s comments from November when he bluntly said Stanton will likely get injured again in 2024

Though Cashman quickly cleared the air, those comments struck a nerve with Stanton’s agent and might have played a factor in the Yankees’ failed pursuit of Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The fact of the matter is that Stanton is owed $118 million over the next four seasons and a team like the Yankees – who expect to contend for a championship every year – can’t afford a player failing to meet expectations at that salary.

It would be foolish for the Yankees or their fans to expect Stanton to reel back his younger years and hit for both a solid average and whopping power. The 34-year-old still has that raw power in him though, averaging 30 home runs a season since 2021 despite missing a total of 136 games during that three-year span.

That alone could attract a small-market team that needs to sell some tickets, but the Yankees would have to eat a lot of Stanton’s salary if they want to move him. It’s unlikely at this point given where Stanton is in age, but if the Yankees can get anything of substance back in exchange for him, they’d be wise to strike a deal

As mentioned before, the Yankees pulled off perhaps the trade of the offseason by acquiring Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres. Though that move is now being shadowed by Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes trade, Soto may have a bigger impact on the Yankees than Burnes on the Orioles when the 2024 season is all said and done.

The caveat in both of those trades is that Soto and Burnes are set to become free agents next offseason, giving the Yankees and Orioles another task to secure those stars long-term.

If Cashman wants to create even more “problems” for his future self while making the Yankees a better team in 2024, he can look to acquire another starting pitcher without a long-term contract. The leading candidates who fit that criteria, now that Burnes has been moved, are Shane Bieber and Dylan Cease.

The Yankees would hypothetically have to give up less for Bieber given this is his final year under team control, but the Cleveland Guardians can win their division in 2024 and still have hopes to locking their ace into a contract extension. If this is the way New York wants to improve during the season, putting a package together for Cease might suit them better.

Cease is a fascinating trade candidate as the 2024 season progresses because he won’t become a free agent until after the 2025 campaign. It is understandable that the Chicago White Sox, who realize they have practically a season and a half to move their ace and still obtain plenty of value, are not going to back down from pleas from competing teams hoping to acquire him.

A contending team might take advantage of the situation if Cease overcomes some of the rust from his previous season and returns to his Cy Young Award-winning form while the White Sox continue to struggle in a weak AL Central.