Yankees general manager Brian Cashman didn’t give many straight answers Monday at the MLB general managers’ meeting in Florida, but many of his responses will pique the minds of curious Yankees fans.
Start with this: Pitcher CC Sabathia, who left the team at the end of the season to enter treatment for alcoholism, may not have a large role on the 2016 Yankees — if he has one at all.
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"I’m not guaranteeing anybody anything," Cashman said when asked about the starting rotation and Sabathia’s place in it, via the New York Post. "We've got a lot of guys that are going to be vying for those five spots."
Adam Warren may be the man primed to take Sabathia’s spot in the rotation. Cashman said Warren, who saw most of his action out of the bullpen, will prepare this offseason as if he’s a starter.
Speaking of starters, the starting second baseman gig is the most glaring question mark for New York. Stephen Drew, 32, is a free agent and the two options on the roster — Dustin Ackley and Rob Refsnyder — aren’t your typical, sexy Yankees names. Cashman even referred to each as “placeholders.”
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But free agent Daniel Murphy, the Mets playoff superstar, sure would look nice in pinstripes. Too bad Cashman isn’t looking for another infielder with defensive issues.
"We have two offensive-profile players already at that position," Cashman said. "I think if we did any changing there, it would be seeking more balance on both sides of the ball."
There is hope, however, in the Bronx. Cashman did make one very “Yankee-esque” remark when he said he never feels constrained by the budget.
"My job is to seek ways to put a better team on the field so we can dream bigger," he said. "Whether that’s rotation, bullpen, positionally, organizational supplements, all of the above."