Yankees Are Like a Lion Ready to Pounce

After the moves the Yankees have made this winter, most notably acquiring Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins, many would suspect that New York is done doing the heavy lifting and will go into the season with their roster as it stands right now. For those that think that way, hold up.

According to a report by MLB Network Insider, JP Morosi, this morning, the Yankees have about $15 million available in payroll right now and could have even more if they were able to trade someone like Jacoby Ellsbury or David Robertson. If an Ellsbury trade does occur, New York would likely have to pay down a significant amount of the money that he is still owed and the return probably wouldn't be significant because of that factor. Either way, you can vaguely see the Yankees laying over in the weeds like a sleeping lion ready to pounce on the right deal that comes their way.

As always, the Yankees could elect to head into the season with who they currently have on their 40-man roster and continue to let the youngsters grow together, but it would be a bit of a surprise to not see them make at least one more upgrade, especially in the infield, before Opening Day. General Manager, Brian Cashman, is not afraid to make moves that will enhance his ball club as he has shown over time and this situation would be no different.

Like I hinted to in the above paragraph, the Yankees could afford to make a potential upgrade in their infield. Some possible candidates that fit include: Neil Walker, Todd Frazier, or Mike Moustakas. All three would give the Yankees extra assurance around the diamond. In particular, Neil Walker, would allow New York to have a more reliable bat at second base given that Ronald Torreyes has hit: .282/.313/.376 in 476 at bats over his three big league seasons with 64 strikeouts. Furthermore, Todd Frazier or Mike Moustakas would allow the Yankees to keep Miguel Andujar down in Triple-A for more development. Andujar has a very bright future, as he showed in the 5 games after he was called up last season, when he hit: .571/.625/.857 in 7 at bats, along with his minor league track record. As with any prospect, there is always the potential that they don't end up panning out like a team thought they would which is where Frazier or Moustakas come into play also.

In addition to the middle infield, the Yankees could also look to make an upgrade within their rotation with a big arm like Yu Darvish or Jake Arrieta. New York was connected to Darvish earlier this winter, but a few weeks ago, it was reported that they were no longer in the running for his services. However, as we saw when the Yankees lost out on Otani and immediately turned their attention to Stanton, Brian Cashman will keep his eye on the end prize and strike when necessary. Both Darvish and Arrieta would give the Yankees that top of the rotation arm that they currently lack and would push Luis Severino back as the team's number two starter. Add to the fact that CC Sabathia is aging, Masahiro Tanaka has dealt with a track record of injuries, Sonny Gray comes with question marks, and you can see why it would make sense for New York to make a rotation upgrade of some kind. Of course, it doesn't have to be limited to only the free agent market either as the Yankees have been connected to Gerrit Cole, before he was acquired by the Astros, Patrick Corbin of the Diamondbacks, and Michael Fulmer of the Tigers, at various points this winter.

While the Yankees can still make a significant upgrade of some kind and have some more cash to spend, that does not mean that they will necessarily exceed the luxury tax threshold of $197 million dollars. Brian Cashman & Company have their eyes set on the stellar free agent class of 2019 and will want to make a huge splash at that time either signing Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, or one of the other top free agents of the class.

Either way, even if the Yankees elect to do nothing else this winter, they are sitting in a great spot right now. They have a talented enough roster to win the AL East this coming season, but still have the means to make another big splash to enhance their postseason chances even more. Whether that big splash comes this winter or next, has yet to be seen, but one thing is for certain: Brian Cashman will make the best possible decision and Yankees fans will see once again why he is such a genius.