The New York Yankees are a team that does not appear ready to contend in 2015. Their best pitcher suffered an injury last year, their lineup is full of question marks, and they will have one of the oldest Opening Day rosters in the league.
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Fans of the team are questioning general manager Brian Cashman over his perceived lack of effort to improve the team so far this offseason. The team chose not to pursue the biggest free agents that were (and still are) available, and they have been mostly quiet on the trade front. For a team with so many apparent deficiencies, it seems like a questionable strategy at best.
But a deeper look reveals that the Yankees are simply playing the long game now. In recent seasons, it has become much harder to just throw money at every problem and stay in contention every year. When the Yankees' core group of stars began aging, it became apparent that their free agent additions were not making up the difference.
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They appear to have learned from those mistakes, choosing not to give a huge contract to any of the star free agent pitchers, all of whom are already 30 or older. The Yankees already owe big money to several aging veterans like Mark Teixeira, Brian McCann, and Alex Rodriguez, and by not adding more big contracts, they are closer to being able to give big money to players that actually deserve it.
According to Yanks Go Yard, the team has several talented prospects like Greg Bird, Jacob Lindgren, Aaron Judge, and Luis Severino nearing the major league level, and they have plenty of young arms in the farm system. Avoiding high priced free agents means that these players will be able to get playing time in the big leagues when they are ready, and it sets the stage for them to anchor the franchise for the next decade.
Although fans surely do not want to hear it, the Yankees are actually imitating their hated rivals in Boston by following this model. The Red Sox created room for their young stars, and while they have struggled, they also already netted a World Series under the approach, and the team appears set to contend for the next several years.
The Yankees have their sights set on 2016 and beyond. This season, they will play with the players they have and hope that they can compete for a Wild Card spot if things break their way. If not, then they have reinforcements in their system and will look much stronger heading into 2016.
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