MOVES THE YANKEES SHOULD MAKE THIS OFFSEASON

The Yankees offseason began on a good note as they signed CC Sabathia to an extension, which will keep him in pinstripes potentially through the 2017 season. Here are some other changes they should make:

Sign Mark Buehrle: Mark Buehrle is a pitcher who can get batters out without great stuff by getting ground balls and not giving up home runs. He is coming off another solid year, posting a 13-9 record with a 3.59 ERA. He would be a stable force at the backend of the Yankees rotation.

      Resign Freddy Garcia: He may not be the pitcher he once was, but he is good enough to be a fifth starter in the Yankees rotation.


             Cut Ties With Jorge Posada: I know Yankees fans have grown attached to Posada, but he’s just too old and is taking up other players time

        Trade Nick Swisher And Sign Grady Sizemore: Swisher has been good for the Yankees over the past three years, but if the Yankees could get a talented, blue chip prospect, he might be worth trading. Even though Sizemore has had a lot of injuries over the past three seasons, limiting him to 210 games, when healthy he is one of the most talented players in baseball. The twenty eight year old outfielder has 30-35 home run powers with the ability to hit for a high average. He also is a great fielder and has a very strong throwing arm. In 2008, his last full season, Sizemore hit .268 with 33 home runs and 90 RBIs. The only issue here is the fact that Boston is also likely to bid for the left handed hitting outfielder and the Yankees may not want to get involved in a bidding war.

Most people may think the Yankees should pursue free agent pitchers CJ Wilson, Edwin Jackson, and Yu Darvish. Another name that has been mentioned is Carlos Beltran. Here is why these moves wouldn’t work:

CJ Wilson: He seems like the type of player who might not be able to handle the scrutiny of playing in a
city like New York; he seems to not like criticism. Also, he is going to want a lot of money, which he may not be worth, considering his postseason track record.

Edwin Jackson: Jackson and AJ Burnett have had very similar careers. They both have superb talent, but can’t seem to translate that talent into wins. They each have thrown an obscure no-hitter (Burnett walked nine batters, Jackson walked eight.) So it would be no surprise if they both disappoint Yankees fans.

Yu Darvish: The recent lack of success by Japanese pitchers in the Major Leagues (Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Kei Igawa to name a couple) may make this move too risky for the bombers.

Carlos Beltran: Now 35, Beltran is no longer the player he once was, though he can still hit, he isn’t an upgrade over Swisher.