Yankees Offseason Moves
Yankees offseason targets for the 2024 season include Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman. Bellinger has been linked with the Bronx since the trade deadline.
The New York team started the 2023 season on March 30 with a 5-0 win against the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium. They had a strong start to the campaign with a 48-38 record but went through multiple losing streaks and went 32-39 the rest of the way.
Injuries to star players and veterans failing to produce have been the major reason behind the Bronx's downfall. The franchise needs to make some significant changes to compete for a playoff spot and ultimately win the World Series title in the 2024 season.
Here are some of the areas where the Yankees must focus while making offseason moves:
1. Add players who get on base rather than smash home runs
The main reason behind the downfall of the New York Yankees in 2023 was their inability to reach bases. They are ranked 10th in the AL and 24th in the league in runs scored.
However, there has not been a lack of dingers for the Bronx Bombers, as they are ranked sixth in AL and eighth in MLB in scoring home runs. The main reason behind their lack of runs is their failure to reach base.
Most of the time, when a Yankee player smashed the ball out of the stadium, no one was on the base. Their batting average of .226 is the second-worst in the entire league, only better than the Oakland Athletics.
The franchise must either find players who hit for average rather than home runs this offseason or develop their players in such a way that they reach bases more often. A player who can get on base regularly is among the most important additions required for the New York team to improve on their record from this season.
2. Add quality left-handed hitters
A quality left-handed batter has been lacking in the Yankees roster for a long time. For a team that plays their home games in a ballpark that has a 314-foot short porch in the right field, not having a quality left-handed player is surprising.
Anthony Rizzo was the only left-handed hitter in the Yankees 2023 starting lineup. He also played only 100 games in the campaign because of a concussion he suffered after getting hit in the head during a game.
Rizzo should be back next season fully fit, and adding another quality left-handed hitter to the squad must be one of the things on the top of the list for the Yankees.
Yankees offseason predictions have Cody Bellinger as the primary target. The left-handed batter is in supreme form and is heading towards free agency, making him the perfect target for the Bronx.
3. Add proven starting pitchers to the team
Another main reason behind the New York Yankees downfall is the failure of the starting pitchers to make an impact. Gerrit Cole was the only shining star in the pitching rotation for the Bronx.
They compiled a pitching staff with starters who are known for getting injured, and because of that, most of them were unavailable for a significant amount of time throughout the season. Luis Severino, Frankie Montas, and Carlos Rodon all missed a significant number of games.
When available, they could not produce goods as compared to Cole. Gerrit has the second-best ERA in the league, but outside of him, the Yankees rotation combines for an ERA of 5.15.
Yankees offseason rumors have it that the team is keeping a tab on the Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Pursuing a starting pitcher who is reliable and durable should be one of the first things on the list for the 2024 offseason.
