By Pat Tintle
Assistant Sports Editor
Heading into the 2014-2015 offseason, the New York Yankees have a glaring issue to address – the replacement of an icon.
Derek Jeter has been synonymous with the Yankees since his first full big league season in 1996. His leadership and exemplary consistent baseball brought New York five World Series and 16 playoff appearances in 19 years. But for the first time in nearly two decades, the Bronx Bombers will need to find a new source of detonation.
Over the past few seasons, the shortstop position has experienced a renaissance. Gone are the days when shortstops cracked 40 home runs and broke through the 100 RBI plateau. The Nomars and the A-Rods are gone (or at least well past their prime), and with their departure from the game, a familiar breed of scruffy, defense-oriented shortstops have emerged.
That’s an important transition to keep in mind when looking at the current free-agent shortstops on the market this winter. Asdrubal Cabrera, Stephen Drew and Jed Lowrie are the top tier, affordable shortstops for this offseason, but one candidate may be the crown jewel who replaces Jeter – Hanley Ramirez.
An elite shortstop himself, Ramirez has made a reputation himself as one of the most talented players in the game, even when considering his antics on the field. In various single-seasons, the Dominican has batted over .340, driven in over 100 RBIs and has stolen over 50 bases. His defense and clubhouse presence may be questionable, but his ability to make headlines as an MVP caliber player sets Ramirez apart from any other free agent the Yankees will be looking at. Many teams will steer away from Ramirez for his potential asking price (which, depending who you ask, sits around five years/$100 million), but payroll is something the Yankees have never worried about.
Another big market move the Yankees can make is a trade. Dating back to last winter, the Colorado Rockies have been throwing Troy Tulowitzski’s name out to other teams, in hopes of rejuvenating their starting rotation with young arms. Yet again, the problem of money has limited Colorado’s buyers. Thirty-year-old Tulowitzski is signed through the 2020 season with a 2021 team option, and is owed at least $114 million in that time. Tulowitzski’s talent is no secret, but not many other teams than the Yankees can afford to give up young talent while taking on a $100 million contract.
But a different question lies in the Yankees farm system: What talent do they have to trade? In exchange for giving up draft picks for big market contracts, New York has surrendered player development. The Yankees may have some nice arms in Shane Greene and Dellin Betances, but their farm system as a whole has been ranked toward the bottom of the MLB for the past few years. Unless New York wants to part ways with one of their highly regarded catching prospects and the only young pitchers they have, then Tulowitzski may be out of their reach.
With limited prospects to offer, do not expect the Yankees to land Tulowitzski come 2014. Despite Tulowitzski’s self-proclaimed desire to play in New York, the Yankees simply do not have the means to acquire the best shortstop in game (at least when healthy).
But what the Yankees do have is money, and they love to spend it. With this in mind, it’s hard to imagine Ramirez in another uniform other than pinstripes by the time April comes around. Other teams have reached out to sign Ramirez, but none of those teams have the bank account to outbid the Yankees. Unless Ramirez has a vendetta against playing in New York, expect him in the Bronx by the time April comes around.
One thing is for sure- the Yankees will be spending to replace the legacy which Jeter left behind. Whether it’s a big name signing with Ramirez, or a bridge to the future with Drew, do not expect New York to keep their wallet in their back pocket.
