GM Brian Cashman has been coy about what the Yankees are going to do, but he gave two notes to the media that are extremely notable in regard to roster planning.
He wants to make the team more balanced, giving them more firepower against left-handed pitching as they have a slew of left-handed batters.
Secondly, he wants to improve their quantity of contact in the bottom of the lineup, with the inference there being pointed at Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, and Ryan McMahon.
The Yankees will all but certainly add a right-handed hitter this winter, and with those two notes in mind, here are three players the team should consider in that role.
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No. 3: Bring Back Amed Rosario For the Yankees’ Bench
The Yankees made a lot of additions at this year’s trade deadline, and Amed Rosario turned out to be one of the most productive of those imports.
His 125 wRC+ and .819 OPS this past season against left-handed pitching are a continuation of a career-long trend of mashing southpaws.
There isn’t a ton of HR power in his swing and profile but he can take the ball out when needed and stuffs the singles and doubles part of the box score.
A versatile player who can’t field that well anywhere, there are limitations to his game that make me wonder how much the Yankees would be willing to spend to retain him.
One note from the postseason was how much Aaron Boone struggled with benching Ryan McMahon even against lefties because of their left-handed starters who allow a lot of groundballs to the third base side.
With all of that said, the Yankees do have a cheap option if Rosario is willing to come back, but I think there are a couple of available players who are a notch better.
No. 2: Trading For a Scorned Philadelphia Infielder in Alec Bohm
It’s fair to ask if Alec Bohm is going to even get traded, or if he would be a good fit in New York given the negative press he’s dealt with in Philadelphia, but the fit is strong on paper.
A third baseman who is better than Amed Rosario at the position, he can handle first base in a pinch as well and strikes me as a player that can fill-in for Giancarlo Stanton when he eventually gets hurt.
Bohm produced a 105 wRC+ and 1.7 WAR in 120 games, there’s reason to believe he could produce roughly 2-2.5 WAR if he ended up playing 150 games.
What stands out way more to me is the 133 wRC+ and .862 OPS against left-handed pitching, as Bohm has more power against lefties than Amed Rosario does while having the excellent bat-to-ball skills and hit tool.
This is someone who contributes to Brian Cashman’s quote about balance and contact, since he could play for Ryan McMahon if he were to either get hurt or struggle big time.
I like this fit a lot; he’s a rental and the Phillies could be willing to move off of him for cheap in the trade market.
No. 1: Going Overseas to Bring in Kazuma Okamoto
Kazuma Okamoto is a player who I believe checks off so many boxes for the Yankees both on the field and off of it, as Yankee Source has reported that the organization is interested in his services.
Now the first question I had was about playing time, but its also been reported by the same outlet that he would be willing to play more of a supplemental role for a contender.
Okamoto can play third base, first base, and right field at Yankee Stadium most likely, with a projected 110 wRC+ on Steamer for the upcoming season.
He hits the ball hard, makes a ton of contact, makes good swing decisions, and actually grades out well defensively at third base.
This is an incredible fit for the roster, and if the Yankees were willing to spend, oh man would Okamoto be an awesome pairing next to Cody Bellinger due to left field being covered.
Imagine if the Yankees had this 10th position player who could compete with McMahon for a starting job if he struggles, cover Rice at first base, play instead of Stanton if the team needs a DH, and get the team back into the NPB market.