MLB Insider Predicts Yankees Will Land Marcus Semien, Justin Verlander in Free Agency
The Yankees are expected to be highly active on the free agent market this winter, and several predictions have already matched them with a few big names that will be available.
Recently, Ken Davidoff of The New York Post ranked the Top 40 free agents this offseason and gave his best guess as to where each player will land.
According to Davidoff’s crystal ball, he believes the Yankees’ biggest move will come in addressing their glaring hole at shortstop.
While most reporters feel that left-handed hitting shortstop Corey Seager would be a great match for the Yankees, Davidoff instead sees them signing Marcus Semien to a five-year deal, worth $140 million.
READ: MLB Insider Calls Corey Seager 'Perfect' For Yankees
Semien took a one-year prove it contract with the Toronto Blue Jays last season and wound up producing a monstrous campaign at second base. The 31-year-old had the third-most homers (45) in the league, while driving in 102 RBI with a .873 OPS.
Now, he is set to cash in on the open market and would make sense for the Yankees given his power bat and vast experience at shortstop.
When looking at another hole in the Yankees’ infield, Davidoff expects them to bring back deadline acquisition Anthony Rizzo on a two-year, $32 million deal to play first base.
Rizzo’s family is from New Jersey, and he made a solid impression on the Yankees’ organization during his brief time with the team.
However, Rizzo will turn 33-years-old next season, and he didn’t exactly tear the cover off the ball (.768 OPS, eight home runs, 21 RBI) across 49 games with the Yankees after the deadline last year.
By retaining Rizzo, and signing Semien, the Yankees would also create a log jam in their infield with Gleyber Torres, DJ LeMahieu and Gio Urshela on the roster. But if they were to sign the latter duo, it would make Urshela a potential trade chip, as well as Luke Voit.
READ: Breaking Down the Yankees’ Options at First Base
Lastly, Davidoff expects the Yankees to make two key moves to upgrade their pitching staff by signing two-time Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to a one-year, $20 million deal, and relief pitcher Andrew Chafin to a three-year, $21 million deal.
While the left-handed Chafin had a stellar campaign for the Chicago Cubs and Oakland Athletics last season, Verlander is a big question mark after missing the past two seasons due to 2020 Tommy John surgery. Verlander is also tied to a qualifying offer, which means the Yankees would have to surrender a draft pick if they were to take a chance on him.
Regardless, Verlander held a workout on Monday morning at Cressey Sports Performance in Florida, and the Yankees were one of the many teams on-hand to watch the 39-year-old throw.
Last season, the Yankees signed another former Cy Young Award winner in Corey Kluber to a one-year, $11 million deal, but it didn’t pay off as he only made 16 starts.
But Verlander won a Cy Young back in 2019, and if he can stay healthy, it might be worth the risk. But that is a big “if” at this point, especially since they will have to surrender a draft pick in order to get him.
For this reason, they are likely better off allocating their funds elsewhere to bolster their starting rotation.
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