Dear Diary, there are so many Yankee free agents that the future roster composition is confusing. However, roster turnover is fine given this roster is not good enough to win the World Series. Some of the biggest offenders, like Trent Grisham, are free agents and will not be back.
For 2027, diary, there are at least seven players who played for the Yankees last year. Examples include the aforementioned Grisham, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Paul Goldschmidt, Tim Hill, Paul Blackburn, and Ryan McMahon. There might be more. Do you think the team will be better off without these players.
Diary of Pending Yankee Free Agents
There is a strong argument to be made that the Yankees need a new brain trust. That would be manager Aaron Boone and General Manager Brian Cashman. That argument, diary, will be made elsewhere. The argument here will be a list of the players who are free agents and will almost certainly not be on the roster in 2027, if there is a season. Here is the list.
Trent Grisham
Grisham is exhibit 1A causing great angst among the fan base and prompting them to write a diary. Grisham’s offensive and defensive skills have clearly declined, yet, for some reason, Aaron Boone chose to bat him leadoff and play him in center field. Worse still, he took a $22 million option before last season. That was a one-year deal, so good riddance. He has been a player that has had Yankee fans writing in their diary.
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Equally a disaster was Jazz Chishlom.Jr. He quipped before the season that he would go 50/50. He did not come close. He was a disaster in the field and consistently swung out of his shoes trying to hit a home run. He is also roundly considered arrogant and a bad teammate. He complained when he was not in the lineup, showing a troubling self-centered streak.
Paul Goldschmidt
Goldschmidt was pretty good for the Yankees this past season, but he showed this season that he cannot play every day. Regardless, he signed a one-year contract before last season for the express purpose on winning a World Series.
Tim Hill
The reliable left-handed relief pitcher was not this year the ground ball machine he was in the past. It is useful to have a left handed pitcher out of the bullpen is valuable, but they are a fine a dozen, and this one is clearly in decline, so it would be okay if the Yankees got rid of him.
Paul Blackburn
Paul Blackburn was a revelation for the Yankees this year. Despite that, one could not help but think, diary, that whenever he came into the game, he was about to blow up. The former starting pitcher has struggled in his career, but Yankee pitching coach, Rob Blake clearly unlocked something in him.
Other Free Agents
Other free Agents for the team in 2027 include John Schieber, David Bednar, Ryan Yarbrough, and Michael Fulmer. All of those players are relief pitchers, and both Schieber and Fulmer were acquired near the end of the season. Bednar was the closer, who pitched well, and Yarbrough was a useful long man, who also pitched well. The Yankees can choose to bring these players back, or not, but these players are no longer under contract.
Conclusion: What Will Happen if There is No Baseball Until 2028
If there is no season in 2027 because of the pending lockout, then you can add several more players to the free agent list. We get up to half of the roster pretty quickly. Foremost among these players are two notable power hitters: Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton. Bellinger can opt out. Ryan McMahon comes off the books if he is still around. So do Clarke Schmidt and Luis Garcia. Stanton coming off the books is potentially important. That marks the end of a ten-year contract for the brittle slugger.
Don't stop here
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