Misc Yankee News

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...In fact, the last few Decembers have been quite busy for Hal Steinbrenner, Cashman and their staff.

 Over the past 10 years alone, the following Yankees were either signed or acquired during the annual Winter Meetings, or right after them: A.J. Burnett, Curtis Granderson, Freddy Garcia, Kevin Youkilis, Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, Nathan Eovaldi, Chase Headley, Andrew Miller, Didi Gregorius, Aroldis Chapman, Starlin Castro, and last year, Giancarlo Stanton.

Who will it be this year?

According to the proverbial source in the know, Cashman’s Christmas list this December is limited to another starting pitcher and, as the source told me, “Keeping an eye on the Machado market."

Less important, it seems, is a search for a regular first baseman – the Yankees seem satisfied with Luke Voit and are willing to give Greg Bird another look – and earlier this week, Cashman squashed a report that he might be looking to move Gary Sanchez.

No, the main order of business seems to be adding another starter to a rotation that as of now shapes up as Luis Severino, James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka and Sabathia. With Patrick Corbin and Eovaldi off the board, the Yankees are looking at either J.A. Happ, who pitched well for them in 11 second-half starts last season, and Dallas Keuchel, who had pitched well against them until this past year, in the free-agent market.

They are also exploring the possibility of trading for either Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer, both of whom are said to be on the block in Cleveland.

But the big issue this week will be, how Manny dollars will it take to sign Machado, and is Steinbrenner willing to spend them? According to Yankee insiders, the club is unlikely to bid on Bryce Harper; one team official told me, “We think Stanton is a better player than Harper anyway."

Having shed some big contracts the past couple of seasons, the Yankees would likely have to blow past the $206 million luxury tax threshold to sign Machado. But having stayed under the line last season, the penalty of 20% of every dollar over $206 million probably won’t be much of a deterrent.

Neither, it seems, will Machado’s infamous “Johnny Hustle" comments. Already, Machado has defused some of the furor by “clarifying" what he meant in a TV interview, and last week, Yankees manager Aaron Boone downplayed the importance of it all on “The Michael Kay Show."

“You hope all players all the time run things out, play hard or give it their all, but [it’s] not necessarily the No. 1 thing I look at," Boone said. “Frankly, it is a little bit down the list as far as what I define what makes a player.

My definition of a player who plays hard, who plays through adversity and is tough and brings things behind the scenes and has the ability to post when it is not easy. Those are things that define playing hard a little more to me."

That sounds like a player the manager would like to have, especially with Gregorius likely to miss at least half the season due to a torn UCL in his throwing elbow that required Tommy John surgery.

"There's trade opportunities that exist in the marketplace, as well as free agents," said Cashman, who never discusses individual free agents. "If we can find the right matches, we're willing to act on it." READ MORE...