Don’t expect Santa Claus to bring many free-agent gifts, Yankees fans.
Yankees play-by-play television voice Michael Kay offered a bleak outlook Thursday for the Yankees’ offseason due to a desire to reduce payroll to less than $300 million.
“There’s a good chance, everybody, that the Yankees’ intent at this point on Dec. 4 is to in fact be under the $300 million threshold,” Kay said on his self-named ESPN radio show.
However, Kay did question whether the Yankees will actually hold to that goal since it would be hard to improve the team while lowering payroll.
“And if you’re going to improve last year’s team, you can’t do that (cut payroll to be under $300 million),” Kay said. “You can’t do it. And that’s why, if in fact it’s true that they are not going over $300 million — I have to wait and see if that’s true because I can’t believe that’s the marching orders, because if it’s the marching orders, they cannot recreate a 94-win team.”
Before Yankees fans panic, it’s worth noting that the Yankees have discussed this idea to stay below $300 million before only to go above that mark for free agents.
Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner has previously said that running payrolls of at least $300 million each years is “unsustainable,” and recently said “of course” it would be ideal to lower payroll.
He noted, though, that he has not committed to lowering costs to that point.
“We can talk before (general manager Brian Cashman) goes into the winter meetings about a range, but because it’s a fluid situation, that range can go bye-bye in two seconds if there’s a deal that arises that I feel would be very beneficial to some area of need that we have,” Steinbrenner said last month. “So it’s hard to give you a number, that’s what I’m trying to say. It’s a different deal.”
Following Trent Grisham’s surprising acceptance of the qualifying offer, the Yankees sit at roughly $278 million while accounting for arbitration raises, according to Cot’s Contracts.
That gives them roughly $22 million to play with in a $300 million scenario, which would essentially eliminate them from any top free agent.
Cody Bellinger is a top free agent. Robert Sabo for NY Post
The Yankees are still pursuing a Cody Bellinger reunion, while some have wondered if they could pivot to Kyle Tucker should his price fall.
That restraint could also eliminate adding Japanese pitcher Tatsuya Imai.
“If they intend to stay under $300 (million), they are not getting (Cody) Bellinger, they are not getting (Kyle) Tucker, they are not going to be able to make any significant move,” Kay said, “because if you look at the big salaries on the Yankees, who exactly can they move to create that salary space to bring in a $25 million or $30 million contract, let’s just say on Bellinger, and if it’s Tucker, a $40 million contract?”
Kyle Tucker is considered the top free agent. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Kay noted that the Yankees don’t have the flexibility to move some pieces to get under $300 million and open up space for a Bellinger- or Tucker-level player.
He called Giancarlo Stanton ($25 million CBT) “unmovable,” noted that Aaron Judge ($40 million), Gerrit Cole ($36 million) and Max Fried ($27.3 million) are not being traded and questioned whether Carlos Rodon ($27 million) could return “top value.”
Ryan McMahon ($15.4 million) has a movable contract, but Kay wonders if anyone wants him.
“People say, ‘Oh, well they should trade Ryan McMahon,’ Kay said. “I don’t know if there’s going to be that much of a market for Ryan McMahon, who’s an outstanding defender but not a good hitter.”
He added: “I don’t think people are going to be clamoring to acquire Ryan McMahon.”
It’s going to be a challenging offseason for Cashman and his lieutenants to improve his team, whether he only has $20 million to play with or even if they clear $300 million.
“I know they have great pitching, especially when Cole comes back and Rodon comes back, probably sometimes in May, then (Cam) Schlittler looks like he’s ready to take the next step, all of that is outstanding,” Kay said, “but you have to have offense too.”