Need For Speed: Will the Yankees Address Their Weakness This Offseason?
In a span of a few hours last Friday, the Yankees said goodbye to three of their fastest players.
Outfielder Greg Allen was claimed by the Pirates, hometown shortstop Andrew Velazquez was picked up by the Angels and outfielder Tim Locastro (arguably the quickest player in the game) is headed to the rival Red Sox.
Now, losing those three players to waivers won't make or break a run at contention in 2022 for the Yankees. All three of them performed relatively well in their limited roles this past season, but profiled as bench players or even reserves relegated to Triple-A at the start of next year.
Besides, New York had to make these types of moves eventually to create space on the 40-man roster. It's a similar tactic to the Yankees declining Joely Rodríguez's club option on Sunday, making room to protect prospect Donny Sands from next month's Rule 5 Draft. And hey, New York was able to re-sign Rodríguez in free agency a few days later.
Even if roster sacrifices needed to be made this offseason, the departures of these three assets exacerbates one of New York's biggest weaknesses, a part of the game that this organization needs to address.
The Yankees had 63 stolen bases in 2021, fewer than 18 other clubs. When you look at New York's sources of swiped bags and havoc on the base paths, however, that number becomes even more concerning.
Infielders Tyler Wade (17) and Gleyber Torres (14) are the only players that reached double-digit steals this year. Then, just three more players from the Yankees' top 10 in steals are under contract for next season. That's Aaron Judge (6), DJ LeMahieu (4) and Clint Frazier (2).
The other five on that list are either entering free agency or are already preparing to suit up for another team next season. Allen had five steals, Velazquez and Brett Gardner added four while Mike Tauchman and Anthony Rizzo rounded out the crew with two of their own.
In fact, the Yankees haven't had a player steal more than 23 bases since 2014. Jacoby Ellsbury swiped 39 bags over 149 games that year.
Steals don't automatically translate to wins and championships. The Braves had fewer stolen bases than the Yankees did this year and Atlanta won the World Series. In '14, the San Francisco Giants had the second-fewest steals in all of baseball (56) and won a title while New York was fifth in the league with 112 stolen bases and missed the playoffs entirely.
But when you look at how the Yankees performed this summer when they had more athletic players on the big-league roster, there's certainly an argument to add faster assets and provide an added dimension to a franchise that typically jogs around the bases after leaving the yard.
During New York's historic 13-game winning streak in August, the Yankees stole a bag in nine games. Meanwhile, over the course of the Yankees' longest losing streak of the season—a seven-game span in early September—the Bombers stole just one base.
And remember that World Series correlation? The last team standing (from 2015 to 2019) had 98-plus steals in the regular season in all but one year. New York stole 111 bases in 2009, the last time they won a championship.
Obviously those numbers are cherry-picked to fit this discussion. If you follow the Yankees on a day-to-day basis, though, odds are you've pondered what a more athletic version of this team would look like and how it would perform.
This isn't to say the Yankees should focus solely on speed this offseason, by any means. A chance at trading for a star like Matt Olson or signing a top-tier shortstop like Corey Seager or Carlos Correa would take a precedence. Same goes for adding to the starting rotation and investing some money in signing a top-tier starter like Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer.
Perhaps this discussion regarding fleet-footed ballplayers contributed to Brian Cashman's interest in the center field market this offseason. There are outfielders out there—like Starling Marte, for instance—that New York could add in free agency.
Or, New York's general manager could pull off a trade this winter for a speedy outfielder like Bryan Reynolds or Byron Buxton, players that fit the mold of what this lineup has been missing these last few years.
READ: Yankees Showing Interest in Trading For Pirates' Bryan Reynolds
It would take a haul of prospects to go after one of those two names—especially Reynolds—which may be a deterrent in getting a deal done. Plus, New York's top prospects have shown versatility at the minor league level, flexing the athleticism that this team has been coveting.
No. 1 prospect Anthony Volpe stole 33 bags (and hit 29 home runs) in 109 games across two levels this year. Oswald Peraza had 38 steals in 115 games across three levels in 2021. Even Jasson Dominguez, in a small sample size, showcased his speed, although he's much further away from making it to the big leagues.
If New York can be patient, those prospects, and more, can provide a youthful boost in the box and on the bases down the road. Patience is often an impossible proposition in this market, though.
Regardless, it behoves Cashman and the Yankees to target players this offseason that can supplement the big bats in the middle of the lineup. Home runs still win ballgames in today's MLB—we saw that firsthand in the postseason—but an extra player or two that can change an inning with his legs, execute a hit and run or take an extra base simply can't hurt.
It all goes back to how this team has been constructed. Every year, the Yankees finish among the league leaders in home runs, but in 2021, New York plummeted in categories like runs scored (711), doubles (213, last in MLB) and, of course, double plays (154, most in American League).
It shouldn't be the top priority this winter, but the Yankees certainly have a need for speed going forward.
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