The New York Yankees require a makeover this offseason.
After going 82-80 — a fourth-place finish in the American League East — the team decided to retain general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone; but that doesn’t mean changes aren’t afloat.
The team is in the market for a centerfielder, admitting fault for its Harrison Bader acquisition.
Cashman acquired the 29-year-old in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals for left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery. Bader was claimed off waivers by the Cincinnati Reds in August, while Montgomery won a World Series with the Texas Rangers. Both are free agents, but with Bader not fitting the billing as being the team’s centerfielder of the future, the Yankees are suddenly looking to upgrade the position.
According to The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner and Brendan Kuty, one name the Bronx Bombers have discussed in center field is Kevin Kiermaier.
The 33-year-old Kiermaier spent last season with the Toronto Blue Jays, after having spent 2013-22 with the Tampa Bay Rays. Kiermaier earned his fourth Gold Glove Award (2015, ‘16, ‘19, ‘23) for his efforts defensively during his one — and potentially only season — in Toronto.
In 129 games, Kiermaier hit .265 with eight home runs, 36 RBIs, 14 steals (4th on the Jays) and an OPS of .741. For his career, Kiermaier is hitting .249 with 90 home runs, 352 RBIs, and 126 stolen bases.
He signed a one-year $9 million deal with Toronto in the offseason, so one could imagine that he may receive a similar payday, especially because of durability concerns. In 2022, he was coming off back-to-back seasons that ended with an arthroscopic knee surgery and a hip injury, respectively. This past season he dealt with back, wrist, and elbow issues, which cost him 33 games.
It remains to be seen if the Yankees will pull the trigger on Kiermaier, who is likely to have interest elsewhere, but perhaps he’ll want to continue his tour of the AL East.
