The New York Yankees finished 2023 with a disappointing 82-80 record.
It’s hard to pinpoint one reason why they underperformed so badly according to expectations: depth failed all season, planning wasn’t good, the offense was atrocious, and the pitching was perhaps the best unit.
The team knows that they can’t field the same roster in 2024 and expect different results, so they are scouting, negotiating, and working on improving it.
According to reports, though, they aren’t really targeting any offensive improvements and are, instead, focusing on arms.
“Yankees are among the most active teams in the starting pitching market, and sources say they’re showing early interest in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Aaron Nola, among others,” MLB insider Jon Morosi tweeted.
Yankees are among the most active teams in the starting pitching market, and sources say they're showing early interest in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Aaron Nola, among others. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 14, 2023
Truth be told, adding some hurlers is a good idea, since the Yanks are losing Luis Severino, Domingo German, Frankie Montas, and others to free agency.
However, they do need to direct some efforts and resources to the offense, too.
They finished 25th out of 30 MLB teams in runs scored with 673, and that simply can’t happen again next year.
When Aaron Judge was out with his toe injury in June and July, the lineup was horrendous, atrocious.
That’s what they need to fix the most.
There are several top hitters available in free agency, like Cody Bellinger, and difference-makers that could be had via trade, such as Juan Soto.
The Yankees offense needs at least one of those and then some other additions to be competitive.
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