2021-22 Yankees, Positional Breakdown/Depth Chart

[jon abbey]

OK, I haven't done this before and I'm starting a new thread so I can more easily reference this myself later. I'm going to go through NY position by position and try to get an idea of where they stand organizationally going into the winter.

Catcher:

Gary Sanchez. 29 years old, will be paid an estimated $7.9M in his final year of arb, FA after 2022. Everyone wants to move on from Sanchez but the MLB catcher pool is probably as weak as it's ever been, so we'll see.

Kyle Higashioka: 32 years old, will be paid an estimated $1.2M in arb and NY has his rights through 2024. Higgy is fine for a backup catcher, he still has elite framing skills and power (20 career HRs in 387 ABs).

Minors:

This is where it gets tricky, NY has really been trying to build up minor league catching depth in recent years and have added lots of guys, but they haven't been too successful. They have a handful of OK prospects but no real standouts. I will I guess list them in order of level, top to bottom:

Donny Sands: 26 in May, spent this year in AA and AAA. He hit pretty well, 18 HRs in 341 ABs between the two levels and a .793 OPS, but he is old for the minors and defensively mediocre at best. NY will have to choose to protect him or Josh Breaux or neither this winter, I doubt they will protect Sands.

Josh Breaux: 24 for all of next season, spent this year in high A and AA. He is similar to Sands, two years younger and a level lower, again more of an offensive catcher than a defensive one. NY will have to roll the dice on protecting him or leaving him exposed this winter, and I think they might leave him exposed also since they have a bunch of roughly similar catching prospects.

Austin Wells: 22, NY's 1st round pick in 2020 (#28 overall) who has been compared to Kyle Schwarber as a lefty slugger unlikely to stick at C. He probably has the most offensive upside of any of these guys, but it doesn't matter for this entry if he can't stay at C. He had a strong offensive year in low A/high A, a .867 OPS in 469 PAs. He is in the Arizona league currently and went 4-5 yesterday with a triple and two doubles.

Anthony Seigler: 22, NY's 1st round pick in 2018, he has not been good so far as a pro, always hurt and underwhelming when he is healthy.

Antonio Gomez: he turns 20 next month, and ended the year in low A. He is the best defensively of all of these guys but obviously very far away and rule 5 eligible in winter 2022.

Prediction for 2022:

Higgy will be back as backup C, and it's unlikely any of these prospects will be able to help next year. NY may decide to move on from Sanchez as the media and fan base all seem to want, but it seems very unlikely to me that they'd really be able to upgrade as opposed to a sideways move. NY also could really use a young talented 3rd catcher with options but easier said than done, I have been saying that for at least the last three winters. So my prediction is NY doesn't actually do anything here, Sanchez and Higgy for one more year, keep trying to develop all the internal candidates, and worry about it next winter when Sanchez is a FA.

 

[terrynever]

Mickey Mantle was born 90 years ago today, which reminds me that just about any good Yankee team of the past 100 years has featured a strong presence at both centerfield and catcher. The 2021 team had neither, although Aaron Judge was a splendid fill-in at center and as charismatic as Mantle himself.

The mid-1980s Yankee teams, the early Mattingly years, lacked a solid catching presence. Those teams remind me a bit of the current Yankees. Some great players with a lot of holes in between Mattingly, Henderson and Winfield. Those 1980s teams had terrible pitching. The 2021 Yankees could pitch.

Cashman could fix both of these gaping holes from outside, as Jon has noted many times. And he might have to. But until the Yankees get strong again up the middle, they will not be great. Barring any trades, Aaron Hicks will probably start the 2022 season in CF and Sanchez at catcher. And as long as they are playing these two positions, the Yankees will run third or fourth in the AL East.

 

[Murderer's Crow]

My prediction is that they don't move Sanchez because they're gonna spend a ton of money elsewhere and $8m/yr is probably half of what they'd have to pay a good catcher. They need to tell him to spend his entire offseason working on his swing and plate approach. His defense is his defense and unlikely to change drastically year to year.

 

[terrynever]

My prediction is that they don't move Sanchez because they're gonna spend a ton of money elsewhere and $8m/yr is probably half of what they'd have to pay a good catcher. They need to tell him to spend his entire offseason working on his swing and plate approach. His defense is his defense and unlikely to change drastically year to year.

They could invite half the position players to that hitting clinic.
I wonder if the organizational approach to hitting will change at all. No two hitting coaches are exactly alike. They are all influenced by their own experiences and career path.

 

[EvilEmpire]

I don't think they'll move on from Sanchez either.

Barring that, I'd kind of wish he'd go back to a conventional stance and away from the one knee, which he's done (I think) for two seasons now. Even if the one knee stance helps his framing, I think he needs better lateral movement. Maybe a little better movement behind the plate makes some things easier for him and we don't see so many obvious screwups which I think adds to his stress back there.

A more relaxed Gary might be a better hitting Gary too. And yeah, I know that is an awful lot of assumptions about something that professionals are paid to figure out and I'm obviously not one.

 

[EvilEmpire]

Also, I think positional breakdown threads are a great idea and a good way to focus discussion. Thanks for doing it JA.

 

[jon abbey]

OK, this is an interesting one, many possible directions and fallbacks.

First base:

Anthony Rizzo: Rental traded for at the deadline, turns 33 next August, he is a FA and NY has no rights to him (no QO possibility because he was traded mid-season). NY liked him and he brought qualities they needed (lefty, good D at 1B, contact) but he is almost certainly going to want more money than NY should give him. He turned down 5/70 from the Cubs last spring, good luck to him getting even that much again but I don't think he makes sense for NY unfortunately. Also it may not be a big issue in 2022 but he did not get vaccinated.

Luke Voit: Under contract through 2024, turns 31 in February, projected arb salary of $5.4M, under control through 2024. Luke is a very good hitter when healthy, but he isn't healthy very often, and he is a bad defender at 1B. NY tried to deal him at the deadline after trading for Rizzo, and they had a deal set but the other team backed out at the last second.

DJ LeMahieu: He turns 34 next July and has 5/75 left on his contract from last winter plus a full no-trade for this offseason. He is listed here because if Gleyber and he are both on the team again next year, this is his most likely position.

Minors:

Chris Gittens: On the 40 man, turns 28 in February. NY has not given him much of a chance so far even though he has crushed in the minors (AA league MVP in 2019, didn't play in 2020 like all minor leaguers, 14 HRs in 146 ABs in AAA in 2021 and a 1.084 OPS). He is also a very solid defender at 1B despite being gigantic, much better than Voit. Also he has truly elite exit velocity, top 10 or 15 in the sport. He needs to stay healthy and keep hitting and wait for his chance and hopefully Cashman keeps him on the 40 man, because IMO he has big potential upside.

NY doesn't really have 1B system depth below that, except for Anthony Garcia who has insane power but is still in low A and is rule 5 eligible.

Prediction for 2022:

I'm going to go out on a limb a bit here and predict that NY trades with OAK for Matt Olsen. Olsen has two years left of team control (through 2023) and is predicted to make about $12M in arb this year. Gleyber Torres and Luke Voit both have three years of team control left (through 2024) and are projected to make about $11M combined in arb this year. Those two plus a couple of solid prospects from NY seem like it could be a match both ways, Olsen is a lefty and a great defensive 1B. Also this would allow DJ to play 2B, easily his best fit.

 

[BaseballJones]

I'm trying to concentrate on the Sox but I just have to say....I will not be happy if the Yankees manage to trade for Olsen. He's terrific and a PERFECT fit for that team and that stadium.

 

[EvilEmpire]

That would be steep even though Gleyber and Voit are flawed, but yeah, I'd do it. Seems like a buy low opportunity that Oakland could do something with for a year and move for bigger value after.

The fit would be worth it. And I hate the idea of DJ playing 1B all the time.

 

[terrynever]

Yes, Olsen solves everything. But there will be others who covet him, too. This is where Cashman is best. The package you suggest is realistic and logical for Oakland. I doubt anyone will top it.

 

[jon abbey]

Yeah OAK would get to fill two holes and if both stayed healthy for 2022, odds are good at least one would bounce back strong and be a big trade commodity next winter, with still two years of control. Gleyber was a top ten MLB trade value in Fangraphs in mid-2020 still, I really think it's fair both ways. Olsen is awesome but is already getting pricy for OAK's taste and has a lot more value now than he will even at the 2022 trading deadline (2 seasons of control down to 1 1/3). If I were Cashman, I would have a handful of prospects I wouldn't move almost no matter what but he still has some next tier guys he can use as legit chips as he has been doing recently (I think 19 actual prospects moved in 2021 so far, Cashman saying 'we won't get Whitlocked again').

 

[nvalvo]

I had been kicking around the idea of a NY-OAK trade built around Torres-plus for Matt Chapman to help consolidate the infield defense, but Olson probably makes better sense as a target.

But Olson should also be more expensive, given recent performance. That proposal is probably light, though, but add in a decent prospect or three from the deep farm system and the Yankees could probably swing a deal Oakland would find compelling.

 

[Murderer's Crow]

I had been kicking around the idea of a NY-OAK trade built around Torres-plus for Matt Chapman to help consolidate the infield defense, but Olson probably makes better sense as a target.

But Olson should also be more expensive, given recent performance. That proposal is probably light, though, but add in a decent prospect or three from the deep farm system and the Yankees could probably swing a deal Oakland would find compelling.

If it's light, it's not because of the talent, it's because Oakland would want younger prospects rather than "established" players.

 

[jon abbey]

That proposal is probably light, though, but add in a decent prospect or three from the deep farm system and the Yankees could probably swing a deal Oakland would find compelling.

I said Gleyber plus Voit plus two prospects.

 

[jon abbey]

Second base:

Not much to talk about here, both Gleyber and DJ are solid to good second basemen (DJ may have been playing through an injury for most/all of the season) but only one can play there, and DJ isn't going anywhere. I will cover relevant minor leaguers in the SS entry.

Prediction for 2022:

Gleyber is traded, a year or two after he should have been, and DJ is the second baseman for 2022.

 

[terrynever]

Second base:

Not much to talk about here, both Gleyber and DJ are solid to good second basemen (DJ may have been playing through an injury for most/all of the season) but only one can play there, and DJ isn't going anywhere. I will cover relevant minor leaguers in the SS entry.

Prediction for 2022:

Gleyber is traded, a year or two after he should have been, and DJ is the second baseman for 2022.

It’s not fair to say Gleyber should have been traded a “year or two” ago. Coming off a monster 2019, he appeared to be a very rare commodity — a middle infielder who hit home runs, lots of them. Torres was the main reason everyone thought Cashman had made some brilliant moves at the 2016 deadline, GMs love the players they steal in trades. Even now, Cash is probably reluctant to trade Torres based on his second-half resurgence.

 

[jon abbey]

It’s not fair to say Gleyber should have been traded a “year or two” ago. Coming off a monster 2019, he appeared to be a very rare commodity — a middle infielder who hit home runs, lots of them. Torres was the main reason everyone thought Cashman had made some brilliant moves at the 2016 deadline, GMs love the players they steal in trades. Even now, Cash is probably reluctant to trade Torres based on his second-half resurgence.

It's fair because I said it back then, he was never going to be able to play SS competently and DJ and he are both now and then second basemen. And it's even more fair because he was far far more valuable a year or two ago.

 

[terrynever]

It's fair because I said it back then, he was never going to be able to play SS competently and DJ and he are both now and then second basemen. And it's even more fair because he was far far more valuable a year or two ago.

You were that certain when? Because patience is part of evaluating talent and development, too. It’s easy to be a sideline critic but the real job is developing players, not deciding how quickly you should trade a middle infielder who hit 62 homers in two seasons in his early 20s. As you have said before, the mistake was signing DJ when it seemed like both of them were best suited for second base.

 

[jon abbey]

Gleyber played 21 games at SS in 2018 and 77 in 2019, he never looked like he could be adequate there, but mostly no one cared because he hit a lot of home runs. I wanted to trade him at or near peak value in each of the previous two offseasons, which is all I was referencing above, but it is certainly true that it is a lot easier for me to type in proposals here than actually make them in the real world and live through the repercussions.

 

[terrynever]

Gleyber played 21 games at SS in 2018 and 77 in 2019, he never looked like he could be adequate there, but mostly no one cared because he hit a lot of home runs. I wanted to trade him at or near peak value in each of the previous two offseasons, which is all I was referencing above, but it is certainly true that it is a lot easier for me to type in proposals here than actually make them in the real world and live through the repercussions.

Thank you. Experienced baseball evaluators and scouts always talk about the sure-fire prospects who did not live up to expectations. Gleyber did exceed expectations at the plate. Clint Frazier always had something happen when he got his bat going. Deivy with his delivery issues. SometImes you have to break a player down and put him back together again. And that could take two or three seasons. So just trading someone with talent can backfire. But you are following Branch Rickey’s axiom: trade a player before his value drops. That’s still true.

 

[nvalvo]

I said Gleyber plus Voit plus two prospects.

I saw that, but it seemed (to me) like you meant maybe it would take more that Voit and Torres. I was not really disagreeing, but more suggesting that the cost for Olson would be at the higher end of your proposed range.

If it's light, it's not because of the talent, it's because Oakland would want younger prospects rather than "established" players.

I guess a lot rides on how a team values Voit's superlative 2020 season. But as you clearly realize, the problem is that he'll already be 31 next season, so if the A's are interested, it's likely because they see him as a stopgap during a rebuild, a buy-low candidate to flip if he has a good first half.