The Yankees made substantial moves to make the team better after missing the playoffs in 2013 for the first time since 2008, and with the moves have come some question marks surrounding many of their extra players, which means that they may be prepared to trade outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, according to reports.
The Latino Post reports that the Japanese star's future with the New York Yankees is uncertain as the franchise continues to figure out where Suzuki fits into the team's future.
The Yankees had quite the busy offseason, bringing in catcher Brian McCann, outfielders Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran and ace Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, who the team outbid other clubs for to the tune of a seven-year $155 million pact. The Yankees are mulling their options, seeing if they should keep Suzuki for what could be the final year of his career and final chance at a World Series title.
Suzuki, 39, has seen his skill diminish with age, but he hit .262 in 2013 with seven homers, 35 RBIs and 136 hits. The Yankees may decide to keep Suzuki and pay him the $.6.5 million he is owed in 2014, and a decision will surely be made before Spring Training.
Suzuki could also be used to make Tanaka feel more comfortable on his new team by having something in common with the outfielder. Sports Illustrated writer Billy Brost weighed the best options for the Yankees going forward.
"Sure, there are cheaper options who could probably use the big league experience such as Zoilo Almonte, but wouldn't it make more sense to keep the Yankees' newest import feeling like he has someone to turn to besides Kuroda?" Brost stated on Sport's Illustrated's Fan Sided.
He continued: "Ichiro knows the pressure and expectations of having an entire nation in his corner, and the Yankees have 155 million reasons to want to hedge their bets and make sure Tanaka is comfortable and confident in his first season in the United States."
The Yankees could also use Suzuki as a trade chip, though the team reportedly turned down a deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks that would have sent Ichiro to Arizona in exchange for reliever J.J. Putz, who had a 2.36 ERA and 38 strikeouts last year with Arizona. Putz, 36, has a career 2.99 ERA with 189 saves and 585 strikeouts.
It remains to be seen what the Bronx Bombers will decide to do with Ichiro, who has appeared in 2,061 games with the Seattle Mariners and Yankees combined, and owns a .319 career average with 111 homers, 695 RBIs and 2,742 hits.
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