Roster Game: New York Yankees

[A's GM (Justin - Commissioner)]

You have full control of the Yankees' system. Make any moves you see necessary to best set the team up for competition in 2016. That could include everything from Rule 5 pick, non-tenders, trades, FA signings, etc.

Try to keep payroll near where currently is though. I'll allow an increase of up to $30M in obligations.

[Cardinals GM (Phil)]

The Yankees should get back to spending. They should trade CC Sabathia, and nine prospects Aaron Judge, James Kaprielian, Rob Refsnyder, Gary Sanchez, Ian Clarkin, Rookie Davis, Kyle Holder, Drew Finley, Hoy Jun Park, and Mason Williams to the Mariners for Felix Hernandez and Robinson Cano and the Mariners pay the last year on Cano's contract ($24 Million).


The Mariners should gladly pay two years of Sabathia to instantly rebuild their farm by getting nine prospects and to get rid of Cano's contract.

[Giants GM (Josh)]

Keep the outfield together. I think that they are good enough for a contender. Package Judge, Mateo and a few other prospects who don't really fit with the current roster and trade them to the Reds for Chapman and Frazier. I think the Yankees could create a good enough package with the talent that they have in their farm system. For the next trade I would do a deal similar to what the Red Sox did with Gonzales, Beckett, and Crawford a few years back and dump Sabathia and Headley (no ARod because no team would ever be willing to take him on),with prospects (in either separate deals or the same) to any willing team for basically nothing. Maybe we move all of them, maybe just one, but we need to get their terrible contracts off our hands. After this, start Bird at first and Refsnyder at second which gives them some impact prospects that could help both now and in the future. With Frazier at third and with a solid catcher in McCann, they need a shortstop (which they don't have). I have already traded Mateo because I don't believe he will pan out and he is not remotely close to MLB ready, so I go and sign Ian Desmond who is coming off a bad year but has a great offensive track record and fits well with the Yankees need (a shortstop who is an impact hitter). We also will start Tex at DH. This gives us a lineup of Ellsbury, Desmond, McCann, Frazier, Texiera, Gardner, Beltran, Bird, Refsnyder. I feel like this lineup is good enough for a contender. It does not have a big star or too much firepower, but is deep and experienced enough to provide good production. The bullpen also looks great now (and a great bullpen has shown to be needed in today's MLB) with Chapman, Miller, and Betances which provides a phenomenal 123 punch like the Royals have modeled, but I still think that depth in the pen is also crucial and they still don't have that. I sign Tony Sipp and one more righty (along the lines of Shawn Kelly or O'Day) and form the leagues best bullpen. Lastly, I would have to work on the teams terrible rotation. I make two huge splashes and sign Jordan Zimmerman and Jeff Samardzjia to help round out a now solid rotation of Zimmerman, Tanaka, Samardzjia, Pineda, and Severino. I think that this team would have a great shot at a deep playoff run next year, and in the future.

I also want to include that these moves are all realistic. The Yankees have been linked to Chapman, Samardzjia, Zimmerman and Desmond. I also feel like a team would be willing to take on Sabathia and Headley because they still could provide decent production, and the Yankees could make a decent package with throwing in a few more prospects. Relief pitchers (referring to Sipp and O'Day) who aren't star closers are very unpredictable on where they can end up, and Sipp and O'Day both make sense for the Yankees to go after. Lastly, while Todd Frazier has never been linked to the Yankees, I feel he is a perfect fit for them and the Reds are willing to give both him and Chapman, and I also think that the Yankees could put together an amazing package of prospects.

[Deleted]

Really wanted to post on this a while ago but just haven't had much time to put a solid plan together.

I think the Yankees do need to get back to their old spending ways. This is what I think they should do.

Trades: Aaron Judge, Jacob Lindgren, Robert Refsnyder, Abiatal Avelino to the Reds for Aroldis Chapman & Brandon Phillips
This trade gives the Reds what they are looking for MLB ready talent and replacements for Chapman (Lindgren) and Phillips (Refsnyder) while also giving them OF help in Judge and a possible SSof the future in Avelino. The Yankees get their closer whom they have the money to extend and the best defensive 2B in the game.

After that I don't see too many holes on this roster or places they can really upgrade. I would hold on to Miller till the deadline and spin him off for whatever you need at that time. I don't believe they will get anyone to take any of those albatross contracts off their hands without sending prospects with them and the Yankees have not been known to do that. Sabathia is the biggest question mark in their rotation and I'm not sure what you do there. I could see maybe going after a Wei-Yin Chen type and giving Severino a little more time in the minors if CC is ready to go but I do not see them adding a front of the line SP.

Starting 5 of: Tanaka, Pineda, Eovaldi, Sabathia and Chen would be pretty solid.
BP of: Chapman, Miller, Wilson, Pinder and Shreve would be solid as well.
IF of: Headley at 3rd, Gregorius at SS, Phillips at 2B and Texeira at first would be great. Possibly the best middle infield defense in the league.
OF of; Gardner, Ellsbury, Beltran would be solid with Ackley and now Hicks able to spell Beltran when need be.
DH: ARod.

This may look like a copout but I just don't see too much that needs to be done with that roster. If they wanted to add Todd Frazier and move Headley somewhere else I think that would be a wise move as well. I just don't know that the Reds would move 3 of their best trade chips in one deal.