Brian Cashman talks during a press conference before a game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on August 1, 2016. (Photo : Getty Images/Rich Schultz)
The New York Yankees are expected to be fairly active in the free agent market this winter after a promising 2016 season. The latest rumors have revealed the three free agent targets for the Yankees this offseason: Aroldis Chapman, Rich Hill and Carlos Beltran.
According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the Yankees will try to become contenders while preserving their youth movement. They are looking to add veterans like Chapman, Hill and Beltran this offseason.
"Brian Cashman will try to stick to his youth movement as much as possible, but don't be surprised if he adds a starter (Rich Hill could be a target) and a middle-of-the-order hitter to make up for the departures of Beltran, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira," Cafardo noted.
"A Carlos Beltran reunion could be in play. There's a sentiment that Aroldis Chapman could return as their closer," he added.
Yankees general manager Cashman told the New York Post that he wants to improve their rotation and bullpen. He added that he will take a good, hard look at the free agent market first before making trade offers.
The free agent market for starters this winter is very thin with the left-handed Hill and former AL Rookie of the Year Jeremy Hellickson as the only top names. Hill had an outstanding season for the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers, which means he is due for one last big contract.
On the other hand, the closer market is much bigger with Chapman, Kenley Jensen, Mark Melancon and Greg Holland. The Yankees has been linked with Chapman ever since the July trade that sent him to the Chicago Cubs.
The hard-throwing left-hander might be inclined to re-joining the Yankees rather than come back to Chicago. Even though they won the World Series, Chapman blew a three-run lead in Game 7 and he almost became the team's scapegoat.
Finally, the Yankees want a veteran hitter after the departures of Teixeira and A-Rod. A reunion with Beltran could be in the works but the Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox are interested in the switch-hitting slugger.
The Yankees have done a great job in restocking their farm system last season. They built a team from scratch and now they are ready to take the next step. The team is a big trade away from being legitimate playoff contenders.
Check out the video below to see Yankees highlights from the final two months of the 2016 season.
