The New York Yankees addressed a significant vacuum in their lineup this week by trading for Cody Bellinger from the Cubs. That move does not bode well for all Bronx players. Adding Bellinger’s pay requires GM Brian Cashman and his staff to be extremely cautious with the team’s balance sheet going ahead.
New York does not absolutely need to reduce its salaries in the future, but any payroll flexibility it can establish could be beneficial. The team is still in talks with a handful of other free agents. Bellinger can play one outfield position, but the Yankees are still looking for a new first baseman and another player who can play second or third depending on where Jazz Chisholm is deployed.
The Bellinger domino will have ramifications for other Yankee players. Fans in the Bronx should avoid becoming too connected to the following three players.
Yankees goner No. 1: Marcus Stroman
Cashman and his staff have already offloaded Nestor Cortes this summer, but they still have six veteran starting pitchers competing for five rotation places. That makes offloading one more starter a viable option.
Stroman is the pitcher the team most wants to move. He is overpaid for his on-field performance, and the Bronx’s upper management has previously demonstrated that they do not trust him in the postseason. His exorbitant salary means New York will have to accept very little in exchange for the veteran righty.
The team’s ongoing pursuit of Roki Sasaki also contributes to this projection. He would not be a high-cost free agent signing, but he would command a rotation slot for the team that gets his services. Cashman’s open interest in the Japanese pitcher indicates that Stroman’s long-term career with the Yankees is in significant threat.
Yankees goner No. 2: Gleyber Torres
Gleyber Torres is perhaps the team’s most prominent free agent, but there was little chance he would return to the Bronx prior to the Bellinger trade. Torres is unlikely to re-sign with the Yankees given the large deal he will demand on the open market.
Ironically, the team still needs Torres. He is a natural second baseman, which sets him apart from everyone else on the team’s current 40-man roster. Unfortunately for Torres, team officials have grown bored of his poor fielding and questionable performance. Torres’ many baserunning errors in 2024 likely cemented his destiny with the team.
Torres may return if his market fails to grow and he is ready to take a short-term, below-market contract to extend his employment with the club where he has spent the majority of his career. However, free agency favors the highest bidder. New York will not make that offer to Torres after paying a high price for Bellinger. Torres will likely play elsewhere on the east coast next season.
Yankees goner No. 3: Will Warren
Even after the Devin Williams deal, the Yankees continue to prioritize adding depth to their bullpen. Free agency will just be one component of the puzzle. Cashman and the front office will attempt to trade for a couple cost-controlled bullpen pitchers to keep their payroll under control following the Bellinger trade.
Warren is one of the 40-man roster players who might be moved in one of those transactions. It’s difficult to see him earning a berth in the team’s rotation anytime soon. He’s a valuable swing arm who can come up from the minors, but he’s certainly ready for a bigger role, even if it comes with another team.
The question for Cashman to address is how to maximize Warren’s value in a trade. For a top-10 talent, trading him for a bullpen arm appears to be a low-ball offer. At the absolute least, New York should work on developing Warren into a late-inning reliever. Another arm with swing-and-miss potential might be essential to manager Aaron Boone next year.
The Yankees may want to keep Warren until the All-Star break as an insurance policy against a major injury to a member of their starting rotation. However, he will not remain with the franchise indefinitely. His days in the Bronx are numbered.