🔥 Building the Perfect Yankees Offseason: Who Has the Best Plan?

🔥 Building the Perfect Yankees Offseason: Who Has the Best Plan?

We had a homework assignment over the last couple days which was to orchestrate not what we think the Mets and Yankees will do, but what we recommend the Yankees and Mets will do, right? What we think they should do to win a world championship. And the one requirement I did lay out is that when it comes to payroll, we need to be realistic. The Yankees final payroll was 304 million. They currently have an estimated $240 million committed to players in 2026, which leaves about $70 million to spend, assuming they end up with a similar payroll, which I think is a fair thing to speculate. Yes, I don’t think we should add $200 million to the Yankee payroll. As much as Yankee fans may want that, as much as they may demand that, I don’t think that’s fair in this process to create a super payroll that probably isn’t going to happen. So, we all did our work. We all did our research. Would you like me to go first? Yeah, of course. Number one, they will make a qualifying offer to Trent Gisham. What does that mean? It means Trent Gisham has an opportunity to return on a one-year $20 million deal. If he accepts that, okay, there’ll be some alterations to my plan. If he doesn’t accept that, fantastic. The Yankees will acquire a draft pick that they can use to help them in the future. Do you think he’ll accept it? I think there’s a chance because even though he had a great year, what’s he getting on the market? Especially being attached with a pick, but he’s also young. Not not old. He’s not young, but he’s not old, right? So, yeah, I think the Yankees, if they do that, they hamstring him. They do. And so, I I think it’s possible Trent says, “You know what? I’m probably not going to have another great year, but I also know I eliminate the qualifying offer once it’s offered to me. Once I can’t have it again, I’ll go back. I’ll have a big year.” And and the reason I don’t think it’s a big deal for me as the Yankees is I’ve made the decision that I’m moving on from Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker, which is probably the headline. Like what? Yeah, I’m going to allocate my money elsewhere. And so I’m going to need a center fielder. I do want to bring in an outfielder that’s not going to cost me a lot of money or a lot of years. So if Trent Gisham accepts it, okay, he’ll be my center fielder. Jason Dominguez, Spencer Jones, Aaron Judge, even Jose Cabayro off the bench, I’m good to go. If he doesn’t accept it, I will replace him by signing Harrison Bader to a 2-year, $22 million contract. He’s my center fielder. He gives me defense, right-handed bat. And again, Spencer Jones, left-hand hitter. Dominguez better from the left than the right. There’s a value to Harrison Bader. So, right off the top, that’s how I’m handling center field. Just want to let you know Aaron Judge is my right fielder. Dominguez will get every opportunity in the world to be the left fielder. And Spencer Jones is on the come. He could end up as the left fielder. He could end up as the center fielder because Gisham and Bader are guys I’m not married to. Now you may be saying, “All right, wow. You let Kyle Tucker go. What are you doing with the money?” Now, what I’m about to tell you may not make a lot of sense, but hear me out. I’m signing Alex Bregman. Now, what am I stole my sighting? Really? Absolutely. See, I thought that was creative because creative because I’m not like hunkered down by the Houston Astros stuff. Oh, no. I don’t care about that. Yes. But I think a lot of Yankee fans might be Well, I think Yankee fans initially will say, “Where is he playing?” Because he’s a third base. No, not under my plan. Where is he playing? I’m going to have a conversation with Alex Bregman. First of all, I got him on a 5-year deal, $165 million. So, I’m paying him a little bit. You’re overpaying him. Am I? He might want you to be your his agent. I think that’s what he’s going to get. Am I crazy? I I mean, he’s probably about 28 to 30 something a year. No, he just opted out of a deal in which he was making how much money? He was making a ton of money that he opted out of? I don’t remember. It was in the high30s. I got to go look. So, I figure for years I’ll get him for a little bit less money, but I got to give him the years. Here’s what I’m going to say to Alex Bregman. You’re my shortstop this year. And then I will proceed to say, “Are you comfortable going back and forth?” To which he will say, “Of course I am. I’m a team player.” He was willing to do anything for the Boston Red Sox. Here’s why this is important. Yankee fans, you need to take away the Vulpi drug. He’s a drug and you need him take him away. If Alex Bregman is here playing shortstop in which I think he’ll do a fine job for a year or two doing that, Anthony Vulpi is exactly what I envision him to be, a super utility player. Yeah. How does he play? Well, sometimes Ryan McMahon doesn’t play against the lefty. Bregman goes back to third. Vulpi is my shortstop. Vi could even play some second base. Yeah. The only thing I worry about is that you start getting these guys playing out of position like he did last year. Not that they can’t do it, it’s just that they’re not as comfortable as they would be elsewhere. Okay. So, that is a fair concern. First of all, the only guy playing out of position would be Bregman, but I think he can do a solid job playing shortstop. And if Anthony Vulpi earns this job back by performance, no matter how much money I’m paying Ryan McMahon, Ryan McMahon could be the odd man out, right? Ends up back at third. Vulpi is a short stop. He’s also likely to be unavailable at the beginning of the season. Vulpi. So, so you’re going to need a short stop anyway. He is my shortstop. I address it differently. And honestly, like I also view this long term. Ryan McMahon’s here for two more years. George Lombard Jr.’s probably a year or two away. Eventually, Bregman’s the third baseman. I just signed him to a 5-year deal. He’s going to be my third baseman, but in the shortest of terms, he’s my shortstop, and I think he’ll do a solid job playing that position. I thought about Bobette. Bobett’s not even a good shortstop. So, like, I’m more intrigued by Bregman because eventually he’s going to play his natural position. He puts the bat on ball to the same level as Cody Bellinger, if not better, and he draws more walks. I think he’s a better player than Cody Bellinger and I think he would fit a need more than Cody Bellinger because I have outfielders. I have outfield prospects that could develop. So Breman is my big move with an eye on eventually being my third baseman but being my shorts stop. But I’m not done yet. I got two more moves cuz I still have some money to spend. Go ahead. I’m signing Michael King to a one-year contract and I’m going to overpay him to get him here. I’m going to give Michael King about $26 million for one year right now. I think he’s 30 right on the dot. Yeah. Now, he is projected to be getting a three-year contract. No, no. I’m going to whisper to Michael King and say, “Mikey, you come have a big year for me. You’re going to get a 5-year contract. You’re good.” And here’s the beauty of Michael King. Number one, solidifies my rotation that’s going to have injuries early. But that’s not the best part, Tikki. Late in the year, if I’m healthy and I got Cole dealing and I got Rodon dealing and I got Schlitler dealing, guess where Michael King goes to my bullpen? Mhm. How loaded is that? Because I don’t love the bullpen guys that are out there. Like I’ll sign guys to short-term deals for a few million dollars, but there’s no way Kenley Jansen Rice Glaciius. I’m not doing that. They’re also not going to blow away the Mets and get Edwin Diaz. So, I’d like King to solidify my rotation and also be transition to the bullpen. I signed Elias Diaz to be my backup catcher because I’m sick and tired of having lefties all over the place. Goodbye JC Assara. And then the trade I would flirt with if it’s available is Jason Dominguez for Quan because then I get the proven left fielder. I’m giving the Guardians more years of control. But if I don’t do that, I’m fine cuz I got Spencer Jones and Jason Dominguez as my left fielders. So my additions are Gisham gets the qualifying offer. If he accepts it, great. If he doesn’t, Harrison Bader on a two-year deal. Alex Bregman who plays shortstop in the time being. Michael King, Alias Diaz, Harrison Bader, and potentially Dominguez for Quan. How great is my plan? No, it’s a pretty good plan. I mean, I can’t argue with it. You stole one of mine, but that’s okay. Stole one of yours. Sports Talk on WFN is presented by Paramount Plus. You can’t count on much these days, but you can always count on Sundays with the NFL on CBS and Paramount Plus. Watch your local NFL game live every Sunday all season long. Visit paramountplus.com/n to get started today. So, we’ll start with the third base. I look I was trying to find Alex Bregman. I had to go on fan graphs. When was the last time he played shortstop, dude? I mean, a couple years ago he’s filled in there. You got to go way back. I went back a couple of years to 2023. I don’t see any shorts stops. He’s all third base. He can play shortstop. I’m telling you, I don’t want the jazz thing to happen again that we saw last year. So, Alex Bregman, I’m signing him. I’m not nearly paying him as much as you did cuz he’s 31 almost 32 years old. He is going to be 32 years old on opening day or right around open. Do we want a 35y old with a two more years left on his deal? Alex Bregman. No. So, I’m going to pay him four years, $140 or so million. That’s just it’s about what you were talking about. Uh in that 30 plus million dollar range and and he’s going to play second base. I did it different than you. I did it from here’s my starting pitchers, here’s my relief pitchers, and I had issues with the relief pitching as well. I didn’t even fill it out cuz I’m I’m going to assume that Tim Hill and some of these other guys that are coming back are are going to fill the void. It’s too there’s too much nuance to go try to find a a relief pitcher at this stage. So Cole Freed Schlitler Rodon Luis Heel Bedar Williams that’s what’s guaranteed catcher Austin Wells first base this was my big signing of the of the offseason for first pace instead of resigning Cody Bellinger and using him all over the place. I’m like you not keeping him. They go get Seattle’s Josh Naylor. Oh my god. That would piss Yankee fans off. They don’t like him. That doesn’t matter. I want the best player. He’s a good ball player. I want the best player. He’s a good ball player and and there’s too many like this is the Y this is a Yankee on this team. What are you going to do with Ben Rice though? Ben Rice is going to be my utility player. My So basically the way he was handled this year D catch her a little bit 100%. And so uh give him a four-year deal. Average around $15 million a year. He’s not going to cost you a ton of money. Josh Naylor maybe maybe closer to 20 but whatever it is. And uh Jazz is at second at shortstop. This is a cheap deal, but it’s a worthwhile deal cuz I still think that the Yankees want to believe in Anthony Vulpi. So I’m resigning IKF. Oh god. Give me IK. Look, he he played on a championship team. World Series. It doesn’t matter. So he’s not going to go back to to Toronto cuz they hate him. Come to come back to New York. He’s a He’s a really good player and he can play shorts stop and Vulpi dead. You know why you are an evil genius? Yankee fans will hate IKF so much they’ll pine for Anthony Vulpi. Maybe that’s actually maybe. But he’s he’s he’ll be viable. Yeah, he’s not going to he’s not he’s not he’s not a liability and it’s cheap. It’s going to cost you $30 million over three years or whatever the heck it is. So, I’m not really spending the money. Bregman at third base as we talked about. I have Dominguez in left field, Spencer Jones playing center field, judge, and then Stanton at the DH. So, my my offseason expenditures are less than $35 million. What are you doing with Ryan McMahon, though? See, with me, with Bregman, he’s going to play some third base when McMahon sits against the lefty, but they are paying him $16 million a year. So, under your plan, what are you just dumping him? Maybe trade him. Wow. Okay. Maybe trade him for a relief pitcher. All right. That’s what I haven’t figured out. Fair enough. I thought my Bregman thing was going to be original. Oh, he’s he’s the best third baseman you in available right now. He also fits the grindish nature of what the Yankees need. Exactly. You know what I mean? Cuz he was cuz he’s he he is that player who is going to hit for what 270 every time? Every year, 280. He’s going to hit 20 home runs. He’s clutch. Clutch. The thing about scared of the moment. The thing about playing him at shortstop cuz I do want to explain it cuz he hasn’t done it in a while. you are right is that I believe that the Yankees need to bring someone in that would make it very difficult for Aaron Boon to go back to the drug of playing Anthony Vulpi like IKF doesn’t do that Jose Cabayro being here doesn’t do none of that does that look so someone like that would I think in retrospect of last season if you go back and think about it and Sean identified this right away I don’t know how to truly evaluate this season for Anthony Bulpi cuz I think he was hurt really early well then look at the last three seasons He has never developed into what they expected, but he was clutch in the postseason. Okay. And you It was only his third year, but that’s why I’m not fully blocking him because the ability of Bregman to go to third base means Ryan McMahon could eventually not blocking him at all. I have a cheap option that we’re familiar with playing shortstop. No, but here’s what the problem that you’re making in my opinion is that you’re not blocking him enough. Like you’re making it easy to go back to him. I’m making it, hey, if you earn it, there’s a way for me to go back to you, but it’s not as easy as IK that cost you. Yeah, but it is, but it doesn’t. Cuz the way I laid this out is my payroll is going to end up the same. Now, I’m not bringing Bellinger back, which you’re not doing either, which I know a lot of Yankee fans may dislike, but I’m viewing the outfield. First of all, I’m viewing Ben Rice as the first baseman. That’s where we disagree. Give Ben the first baseman’s glove. He’ll become good over there, at least decent over there. Give him time. He’s the first baseman. End of story. Maybe I bring in a backup like Ty France who can play the position well but off the bench. I have enough young outfielders between Dominguez and Spencer Jones and a center fielder who’s a glove first player whether it’s Bader or Gisham coming back that I don’t need Cody Bellinger. I really don’t. And I think I’m left-handed enough now. So I think that while he was a good Yankee and I got nothing against him, I think I would serve myself better by bringing in an infielder, especially someone who could play on the left side of the infield. Challenge Vi. That’s where they come. And also look at the left side of my infield right now. Ryan McMahon is a good glove, but he don’t hit much. And he doesn’t hit lefties despite the home run he hit in game four. And what’s my shortstop? Cabayro, Vulpi, Lombard is still a year or two away. So, I’m trying to even out my roster by being better on the left side of the infield, which right now is not good enough. Okay. All right, Sean, go ahead. All right. Um, I’m just going to say this. I I You guys went very focused on the left side of the infield. Unfortunately, you can’t help some drug addicts. So, I’m leaving shortstop alone and assuming that Vulpi is eventually going to take that job. I just want to get that off the plate. Okay, that was a terrible way to reference it, but follow Cody Bellinger’s Mr. Yankee. They’re going to flirt with Kyle Tucker. He’s going to sign a 7-year $180 million deal. Okay, you could uh all you want. No, that’s fine. With the future flexibility perhaps for somebody else. Follow along here. We’re also going to retain Deon Williams after all. He’s going to Nick Games at Aaron Jones. Wow. I kept I kept Deon Williams. Yeah. Okay. So, uh around 3 years, 54 mil comes into about 18 mil a year. Following the reliever market, I feel like for a guy who’s not going to be paid to be You’re going to give Devin Williams $18 million a year. You buried the man. This look, but he was good. Yeah. This off this offseason plan like I’m going to hold against you for the rest of your life. First of all, you’ve just accepted Vulpi as the shortstop. That which I’m stunned by. That one I don’t get. Your plan, not Brian Cashman’s plan. Your plan. You’re saying I am rubber stamping Vulpi as my shortstop. And oh, by the way, I’m rubber stamping Deon Williams to be one of the highest paid closers in baseball. I was told that this had to be a realistic plan. Yes. From financial standpoints, you can pick who you want, who you think is best for the team. I unfortunately am so beaten down by my teams that a realistic plan does not involve not having Anthony Vulpi at shortstop. So that was my interpretation. I’m not telling you I want to. I’m just telling you what I interpreted. That’s fine. Okay. They’re going to get a right-handed option to help Ben Rice whenever he slides over to catch and DH. I’m giving one year 12 mil to Reese Hoskins. I think he’s going to play a little first base as free agent. Okay. No, that’s not bad. I like that one. Okay. Playing. I’m also going to bring back reasonably uh Rosario obviously Cabayro is still out the bench. The Yankees are then in turn going to make two trades that I think fans are going to love. Trades. Let’s go. Okay. They’re going to go to Cleveland and they’re going to get their leadoff hitter in Steven Quan. Oh, you like the Quan idea. The headline package in that deal is they’re trading Luis Heel to give Cleveland some upside at the top of their rotation. Now, you might be saying, “Well, are the Yankees in position to be trading starting pitching knowing what’s going on at the top.” Well, they just got Steven Quan to lead off and play left. I brought Bellinger back. They’re trading Jason Dominguez. They’re trading Chase Hampton. They’re trading Bryce Cunningham and Dax Kilby. major prospects to the Florida Marlins. Sandy Alcantra. This is why I should have went before Sean. I don’t even have to go now. That was my trade. I already made I Why is the Yankee fan not featured last? I should have went and then you should have went. What does that note say? Well, you could go. No, I I’m not going to go now. By the way, you’re out of the Met one. You know, you’re out of the Met one. You know, I feel like you’re killing my boss. I feel like I just gave the Yankees. You had a great You had a great move there, but we should have compared notes. All right, that’s where I’m at. Quan and Alcantra in two massive deals. Bring back Bellinger, bring back Williams, and plug the bench a little Reese Hoskins right-handed option at first base. I like his plan towards the end. The beginning of it I didn’t like, but I like the idea of using Heel cuz we had talked about this. The Yankees have pitching depth despite the injuries to start the season and Luis Heel is a guy that you can use as a trade chip and using him as the headline of the package because I think it’s going to cost more than heel to get Quan just to be fair. So, I think you’re making other guys. I interpreted it that way. It’s heal as the head the the the headliner in a deal for Quan and then boy you came flying for Alcantra. You got to load up. No, I that’s a huge return back. You got to load up. I give you credit. That’s like Met fans killing me for my TK school deal. Like ah it’s too much. That’s a lot. But hey, you came to the party with a lot. So you end up with Cody back, Alcantra in the rotation. Heel gone. Quan in left field and Bellinger back. Yeah. And and so then the idea is and you’re retaining your infield which is going to be McMahon Vulpi Chism and and you might be asking well Sean what does that mean for Spencer Jones? I what my assumption is is we’re going to play another year out here where Sean Carlo will end up on the IIL judge. You know there will be a moment where Spencer Jones gets called up and where the chips lie where they may. Maybe it ends up where Ben Rice catches more Austin sits more and you move Bellinger to first like all of that is in float around catching first base. DH there will be at bats down the line at some point through injuries for Spencer Jones and then you reexamine after the year what you want. I like it. I think that’s a good plan. All right, Tommy. I know you’re all depressed and all, but you could still make your plan even though uh you copy Sean. Yeah, but I had this whole dramatic thing planned out. I’ll just do it then. You don’t need to be dramatic. We’re doing radio here. I thought it’d be fun. Kyle Tucker, that’s the crown jewel. That’s the big splash. That’s my big free agent signing if I’m Brian Cman. But where will Kyle Tucker play? I don’t know. Stay tuned. Is that going to be dramatic? No. I mean, okay. Okay. I am going to The Yagis made a trade. Break the glass. They are sending Jason Dominguez, Austin Wells, and Luis Heel for Freddy Peralta. Oh, no. It was on my list, but I don’t want to have the same thing as him. So, I I wanted So, you just pivoted to Freddy Peralta. Of course, because why? Yeah. So, it’s it said Alcantra, but now it’s going to be Freddy Peralta. Tommy, Tommy, Tommy. You can keep it as Alcantra. I said Bregman and Tikki didn’t make the pivot. He was just like I’m doing Bremen. No, because that was going to be my big reveal. Like free agencies. Everybody knows the free agents. The trade was the big reveal. All right. So, we’re going to keep it as our contract. I don’t think you should change it. There’s no reason to. Dominguez Wells. Really overpaid for Freddy Peralt. He’s a free agent at the end of the year, but go ahead. So, Dominguez, Wells, and Heel Million this year. Wow. Yeah. So, Dominguez, Wells, Heel for for Sandy Alcantra. I agree with Tiki and Shawn. you don’t give up a, you know, a near, you know, decadesl long beard policy for one guy for a one night stand. So, you resigned Devin Williams. Ben Rice is my catcher. Tucker is my first baseman. Spencer Jones is my left fielder. And me and Evan are sharing a brain. I I went with Raone Lauraniano at center field, but I just think the Yankees need guys with some stones. Sper’s a good option, too, but they just need those like pitbull guys. So, Lauriano’s my center fielder. That’s my offense. It’s funny that of all four of us, only one of us said Kyle Tucker cuz he was the guy that for a year out we were like, you don’t know how much that’s going to cost you. That’s going to cost a lot. That’s the challenge. And and you said be realistic. It could cost you your whole budget. Yeah. Here’s the quiet, but you know what I mean. The the issue with Kyle Tucker is a staying healthy, but b and he kind of touched on this. He’s a right fielder and I would not move him to first base. I disagree with that. He’s a Gold Glove caliber right fielder. So, who are you moving to first base? Is it Aaron Judge? Are you moving one of them to left field? Judge can certainly play left field, but they’re really both right fielders when you think about it. In my plan, Tucker’s the first baseman now and he will flip-flop with Judge in a year or two. Yeah. No, I got you. I just I don’t love that because I think he’s a Gold Glove caliber player and you’d be losing a part of his value by not having him there. But the other thing about Kyle Tucker is he had such a weird year this year. You wonder like, do you want to give him $400 million? That’s probably what it’s going to take. But I think the outfield question is this. I avoided those massive contracts cuz it’s massive. He’s going to get a massive contract. He really is. It’s not going to be sodto, but it’s going to be very high. He played left field early in his career. So, you could simply say, “All right, you’re the left fielder.” But that opens up center field to whom? Like, you guys both traded Jason Dominguez, so I guess that makes it easy. But Jason Dominguez as a center fielder, right? Spencer Jones as a center fielder. I didn’t I didn’t trade Dominguez. No, I know you didn’t. And I thought about doing it in a deal for Quam, but it makes sense in the trades you talked about. Look, soon he’s going to be playing third base as we saw in the warm-up to the divisional rounds. Yeah, we did see that. And we’ll come back and get your phone calls. What do you want the Yankees to do? Four people with four very different plans. Some crossover, but overall very different. 88881019. [Music]

Evan Roberts, Tiki Barber, Shaun Morash, and Tommy Lugauer each reveal their realistic blueprint for how the Yankees should attack the offseason — from free-agent signings to blockbuster trades. Who has the best plan to bring another championship to the Bronx?

⏱️ Time Codes:
00:00 – Evan explains the offseason assignment and payroll limits
01:00 – Evan’s Yankees plan
05:00 – Tiki’s plan
13:45 – Shaun’s plan
18:05 – Tommy’s plan
20:00 – The crew debates Tucker vs. Bregman & the Yankees’ long-term core

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