October 25th, 2019: Ideas for the 2019-20 offseason

One way or the other, the 2019 World Series will be over in no more than six days, then it'll be time for the offseason. I can't say I expected the Nationals to win two games in Houston, so that's cool. I'm rooting against the Astros more than I am rooting for the Nationals at this point. Anyway, I wanted to do some sort of offseason preview here, and rather than build another massive Offseason Plan post  (2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19), I think I've come up with a fun format. Hope you enjoy it. Let's dive into what I think the Yankees should do this winter, and what I think the Yankees will do this winter. (The items are listed in no particular order.)

What I think the Yankees should do: Put the training staff on a rocket to the sun
What I think the Yankees will do: Change up their training staff

Okay, maybe a rocket to the sun is a little too harsh, but something has to be done with the strength and conditioning staff after this season. The Yankees put an MLB record 30 different players on the injured list (39 total stints) and their 2,658 man games lost to injury were not just the most in baseball this season, they were (by far) the most in baseball in Spotrac's database, which goes back to 2015. This year's Padres were a distant second with 2,075 man games lost. The Yankees lost 28% more man games to injury this year than any other team in the last five years. That makes for a fun Next Man Up underdog story. It's also not something to celebrate. It should trigger an organizational introspection. Injuries are part of the game and sometimes things happen. Edwin Encarnacion took a pitch to the wrist and that's bad luck. CC Sabathia's knee acted up a few times and we knew that would happen. Jordan Montgomery and Didi Gregorius were going to need months to complete their Tommy John surgery rehab. We knew that. But Luis Severino and Dellin Betances both got hurt in Spring Training and later suffered setbacks. Giancarlo Stanton had one injury (biceps) turn into another injury (shoulder), and his second half knee injury went from day-to-day to two months on the shelf literally overnight. One day he was day-to-day and the next he was down for weeks. I unofficially count 27 new soft tissue injuries this year. Calves and hamstrings, obliques and groins, you name it. You expect some of those injuries during the season. They're part of the game. The Yankees met their quota and then some. That many soft tissue injuries points to an issue with training, conditioning, and preparation. The injury situation was so bad this season that I have to think changes are coming this winter. I don't know if that means replacing strength and conditioning coach Matt Krause and/or others on staff, but geez. It's hard to see how you could go through this many injuries and keep the status quo. I expect changes over the winter. "Our focus and concerns are on how our processes played out this year and the numerous injuries that we had. The failed rehabs that we had in some cases. Our area of focus is going to be in the area that might have been preventable, clearly, and the determination being is, are they preventable? Are these something that we're missing? Is there something that in our process that is faulty? ...  Stay tuned if there’s something there to be dealt with in the future," Brian Cashman said yesterday.

What I think the Yankees should do: Call Chapman's bluff
What I think the Yankees will do: Extend Chapman

Aroldis Chapman can opt out of the final two years and $30M remaining on his contract this offseason. He has said he wants to remain with the Yankees, but he and his agent are not stupid. They know the opt-out gives them leverage. They could (and likely will) approach the Yankees about a contract extension and threaten to opt out if they don't get it. Wouldn't be the first player to do that. Heck, CC Sabathia did it in 2011. The Yankees gave him an extra year and $30M to keep him from opting out. My guess is the Yankees will do something similar with Chapman. Maybe tack another year and $15M to $18M on top of the two years he still has coming to him? That seems reasonable enough. I wouldn't do it though. If he threatens to opt out without an extension, tell him you're planning to make him the $17.8M qualifying offer, and wish him luck in this player unfriendly free agent climate. To be clear, this has nothing to do with the ALCS walk-off home run -- I'd like to think you all know I'm not going to overreact to one bad moment -- and has everything to do with Chapman being a soon-to-be 32-year-old reliever with bad command who is losing velocity:

Chapman has used his slider to compensate for the velocity loss well, so he's shown he can adapt, and that's a point in his favor. It's just that we can already see his margin for error shrinking, and I don't want to be on the hook for his age 34 season in three years given what we know now. If Chapman decides not opt out, great. Welcome back. If he decides to test the market, then, well, find another high-leverage reliever. Will Smith will be available for much less than Chapman (three years and $30M?) and is pretty excellent, for example. If Chapman doesn't want to honor those last two years on his contract, that's fine. That's his right. I just don't want the Yankees to extend themselves too far to keep Chapman given the declining velocity and the available alternatives.

What I think the Yankees should do: Let Gardner walk, commit to Frazier
What I think the Yankees will do: Re-sign Gardner, trade Frazier

There is pretty much no chance the Yankees will let Brett Gardner walk and that was true even before Brian Cashman announced yesterday that Aaron Hicks will have Tommy John surgery. Gardner had a very good season and did it as an almost full-time center fielder, plus there are all the intangibles. The Yankees definitely value Gardner's leadership. One year and $8M or so is in the cards and I bet a deal comes together very quickly. As for Clint Frazier, he's a goner. It is clear as day. The Yankees will trade him either as part of a package for a starting pitcher, or in a similar "busted prospect for busted prospect" trade. Frazier for some other team's Frazier (Clint Frazier for Alex Reyes?). The "he needs to work on his defense" excuse falls flat when the Yankees are so committed to Miguel Andujar at third base (and even Gary Sanchez behind the plate). I've said this before and I'm going to say this again: Frazier is the new Jesus Montero and Rob Refsnyder, that hotshot prospect everyone wants to play who gets buried in the minors. The Yankees have a good track record in these situations and they know Frazier better than anyone, so I trust their judgment. Based on what I know, I'd stick with Frazier and find out exactly the Yankees have with that bat. It sure looked like the Yankees could've used another young live body with top notch bat speed in the ALCS, didn't it? Maybe Clint can be that guy going forward. There's only one way to find out. Gardner has been a great Yankee and I look forward to seeing him at Old Timers Day in the future. He'll also be 37 next year and I'd rather move on a year too soon rather than a year too late. Love Brett. He's the man. I am extremely ready to see what Frazier can do with regular at-bats at the big league level though, and those at-bats would be available in left field and DH with Gardner gone. Frazier turned 25 in September and he's played over 200 career games in Triple-A. It's time to get this show on the road, and the 36-year-old Gardner is the obvious roster casualty. There are other ways to cover center field. (I am totally cool with Aaron Judge in center field, though it'll never ever happen.)

What I think the Yankees should do: Commit to Andujar as a 1B/3B/DH guy
What I think the Yankees will do: Commit to Andujar as a 1B/3B/DH guy  

This one I feel pretty good about. The Yankees love Miguel Andujar -- they love Andujar in a way they clearly do not love Clint Frazier -- and it's really unfortunate he had to miss this past season. I wonder what he would've done with the rocket ball. Maybe 35-40 homers? With a sub-20% strikeout rate too, probably. Poor Miggy. The good news is his shoulder surgery rehab is going well -- Joel Sherman recently reported Andujar has started hitting and fielding in Tampa, so baseball activities have begun -- and, even if he has to start next season on the injured list as he completes his rehab, he is on track to return at some point early in the year. There are reasons to believe Gio Urshela is legit given his improved hard-hit rates and the fact the Yankees, specifically Triple-A hitting coach Phil Plantier, worked with him to retool his hitting mechanics and better incorporate his legs in 2017. There are reasons to believe the improvement is real. If nothing else, Urshela earned an opportunity to show he was no fluke next season. He belongs at third base. In that case, giving Andujar reps at first base is an obvious move, with the idea that he gets regular at-bats while splitting his time at the two corner infield spots and at DH. Trading Andujar is always possible, but his stock is way down following shoulder surgery, and I would not want to sell low on this guy. I am an unabashed Andujar fan and yes, I am letting it impact my decision-making here. I love the bat, love the work ethic, and love the energy he brings. Andujar's a keeper and giving him time at first base is the way to go with Urshela now locked in at the hot corner. 

What I think the Yankees should do: Re-sign Gregorius (to a short-term deal only)
What I think the Yankees will do: Let Gregorius walk

I'm torn on Didi Gregorius. He's been a very productive -- and very popular -- player the last few years and it's easy to talk yourself into believing he will again be that player next season, after a normal offseason and a full year removed from Tommy John surgery. At the same time, the Yankees have a potential long-term shortstop in Gleyber Torres, and can redirect whatever dollars they would have spent on Sir Didi toward pitching. Gregorius turns 30 in February, so he's not over the hill, and quality middle infielders are hard to find. Plus the Yankees could use his lefty power -- Didi hit 16 homers in 82 games this year despite his struggles, which is a 31-homer pace across a full season -- and his defense as well. We all saw what happened this season, right? One infield injury and Gregorius is an everyday player again. In a world where payroll does not matter, I'd make him the $17.8M qualifying offer and hope he accepts. Since payroll does matter, forget the qualifying offer, and approach him about a two-year deal at $10M per season. Or maybe get creative with it. One year and $10M with a one-year, $10M player option or a two-year, $25M club option, similar to the Zack Britton/Yusei Kikuchi contract structure. That gives both sides some say in what happens beyond 2020. I dunno. Maybe. As for what I expect to happen, I think the Yankees will do something similar to what they did with David Robertson five years ago, meaning they will remain in the Gregorius bidding publicly, but have no intention of bringing him back because they want to spend that money elsewhere. Brian Cashman admitted the Yankees stayed in the Robertson bidding only to improve his market and get him the best contract possible. It was a favor to a player who'd been a good soldier in the organization, basically. I could see Gregorius getting the same treatment. I hope the two sides can work out a short-term deal that keeps Sir Didi in pinstripes next year. I'm not optimistic it'll happen.

What I think the Yankees should do: Re-sign Betances
What I think the Yankees will do: Re-sign Betances

This is another one I feel pretty good about. Despite the arbitration hearing animosity a few years ago, the two sides seem to love each other, and I don't think Dellin Betances wants to leave the only organization he's ever known. He's a New Yorker and a homegrown Yankee, through and through. I don't think he wants to go anywhere else. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll take a discount to stay, of course. My gut feeling is Betances and his agent will work hard to figure out a deal with the Yankees before exploring other options. I know the brain trust loves Betances because he's a hard worker and accountable, and also really freaking good. This seems like a marriage that should continue. The injuries ruined Dellin's free agent stock, so it'll be a short-term deal for sure. One year and $8M, maybe? I kinda dig the idea of a two-year, $16M deal where the second year becomes a player option should he reach a certain number of appearances. A reverse vesting option that allows Betances to test free agency next year should he stay healthy and have a typical Betances season in 2020, basically. The injuries really complicated things and I'm not sure what an appropriate contract is a this point. I just think the Yankees should bring Betances back. This isn't a pity contract or getting caught up emotionally in things. Betances is elite at his position and I want as many of those players on the roster as possible.

What I think the Yankees should do: Re-sign Romine
What I think the Yankees will do: Go with a cheaper backup catcher

Well well well, how the turntables have ... turned. Replacing Austin Romine was a staple of my RAB Offseason Plans and now here I am saying the Yankees should re-sign him. I am a broken man. I'm not saying the Yankees should give Romine a big contract, of course. Something between two years and $6.25M (Jeff Mathis money) and two years and $10M (Kurt Suzuki money) seems appropriate. It boils down to this: All backup catchers suck. All of them. Some suck less than others, and at this point, I think Romine is one of those who sucks less than others. He has an atrocious throwing arm -- he ranked in the bottom third of the league in pop time (2.06 seconds) and arm strength (82.2 mph) this past season -- but is a good enough pitch-framer and blocker, and he's made himself into a passable hitter. That .262/.302/.428 (94 wRC+) batting line the last two seasons is nothing special on the surface, but the league average catcher hit .235/.307/.391 (85 wRC+) the last two years, which ostensibly means the average backup catcher is somewhere south of that. Romine turns 31 this offseason and he has a relatively light catching workload on his legs after spending the last few years as a backup, plus he knows the pitching staff already. Seems like a waste of time and energy to search for a backup catcher who likely won't be any better than Romine in the aggregate. My hunch is the Yankees will look to save money wherever possible this offseason, including finding a cheaper backup catcher. I know there are Kyle Higashioka fans in the organization. He rates well as a pitch-framer, is a decent thrower, and has some pop in his bat. And, like Romine, he knows the pitching staff already. Do you spend $3M to $5M on Romine or $600,000 on someone who could be the next Romine? Money really shouldn't be an issue for the Yankees, especially when we're talking about a relatively small expense like a backup catcher. Money matters though, and there will be cheaper backup catcher options on the market this winter (Higashioka? Martin Maldonado? Stephen Vogt?). Letting Romine walk and going with a cheaper backup strikes me as a way the Yankees can save a few bucks against the luxury tax.

What I think the Yankees should do: Extend Torres
What I think the Yankees will do: Continue to go year-to-year with Torres

This is something that should happen but probably won't happen. Gleyber Torres is a not a budding superstar. He is a superstar right now, and he'll turn only 23 in December, and the Yankees should want him in their uniform as long as possible. He can't become a free agent until after the 2024 season, so in that sense there's no urgency to sign him to a long-term contract, but the sooner the Yankees lock up Torres, the greater the savings down the road. Torres will be arbitration-eligible for the first time as a Super Two next year. Didi Gregorius made $27.525M in his four arbitration years as a Super Two middle infielder and his early career numbers weren't nearly as good as Gleyber's. It's not out of the question that Torres could make $50M during his four arbitration years. Ketel Marte signed a five-year, $24M contract last offseason at the same service time level as Torres now, though that was before his huge breakout 2019 season. I'd give Torres the Marte contract and not think twice about it. There's also pretty much no chance he takes it. What about a seven-year, $70M deal with this structure:

• 2020: $1M salary and $2M signing bonus (final pre-arbitration year)
• 2021: $3M (first arbitration year)
• 2022: $6M (second arbitration year)
• 2023: $9M (third arbitration year)
• 2024: $12M (fourth arbitration year)
• 2025: $16M (first free agent year)
• 2026: $20M (second free agent year)
• 2027: $22M club option with $1M buyout (third free agent year)
• 2028: $23M club option with $1M buyout (fourth free agent year)

Seven years and $70M guaranteed (ages 23-29) with the potential to be nine years and $114M (ages 23-31). The two option years might be a tough sell. Torres and his agent may want to ensure he can become a free agent before his 30th birthday, giving him a shot at a big free agent contract. Either way, Gleyber gets life-changing financial security and the Yankees get cost control over their best young player through his arbitration years and buy out at least two free agent years as well. Also, the Yankees could sign Torres to an extension without ballooning their 2020 luxury tax payroll. Seven years and $70M equals a $10M luxury tax hit next year rather than his six-figure pre-arbitration salary. The Yankees could avoid that by signing Torres to a normal one-year, pre-arbitration contract this winter, then sign him to an extension that does not change his 2020 salary and begins in 2021. I wrote about this at RAB a few years ago. It's the best of both worlds. You get Torres signed long-term without the getting whacked with luxury tax next year. The Yankees started signing some of their core players to extensions last year (finally) and they immediately blew up in their faces (Aaron Hicks and Luis Severino were hurt pretty much all year). That should not deter them from pursuing an extension with Gleyber. He's young, he's excellent, and the Yankees should ensure he spends a long time in their uniform. I just don't see it happening in a pre-arbitration year. Maybe once Torres starts making real money through arbitration (like Severino last year). I think James Paxton is the only realistic extension candidate this winter because he's a year away from free agency (like Hicks last year).

What I think the Yankees should do: Non-tender Bird
What I think the Yankees will do: Tender Bird and bat him third on Opening Day after he has another great Spring Training

It's time to move on. Greg Bird's a nice guy and all, but he's been a productive player for all of six weeks (September and October in 2017) over the last four years. He's also only two years away from free agency. Bird has been accruing service time (and collecting big league pay) while on the injured list all those years, so it's not like the Yankees control him another four or five years, you know? If we were talking about a shortstop or a pitcher or a center fielder, then yeah, keeping Bird would make sense because those positions are harder to fill. He's not that though. He is a left-handed platoon first baseman. One who has looked pretty terrible at the plate the last two years, possibly because all those ankle injuries/surgeries have compromised his lower half beyond repair. Mike Ford can fill the same exact role for half the salary, and three first base only guys (including Luke Voit) on the 40-man roster is at least one too many. Maybe the Yankees can non-tender Bird and re-sign him to a minor league deal. Maybe he leaves and reaches his potential with, say, the Blue Jays or Red Sox. That'd sting, but whatever. I don't think it's likely given everything his body has told us the last few years. At some point the leash runs out and I think it's run out with Bird. Time to move on. Of course, what I say doesn't matter, and the Yankees absolutely love Bird. His projected arbitration salary is not exorbitant ($1.3M), so they'll bring him back and see what happens. Chances are he will mash in Spring Training because he always mashes in Spring Training, then get hurt a month into the season because he always gets hurt a month into the season. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but it is.

What I think the Yankees should do: Salary dump Happ
What I think the Yankees will do: Keep Happ (but not let his 2021 option vest)

It is still amazing to me the Yankees dumped Chase Headley's entire $13M salary two years ago, and all they had to do was give up Bryan Mitchell. The Padres really liked Mitchell, huh? He allowed 47 runs in 44 innings in Triple-A this past season and was removed from the 40-man roster in April, so that's not working out too great. Can the Yankees unload Happ like they unloaded Headley two years ago? The Angels and Phillies, two pitching needy teams (especially the Angels), had interest in Happ last offseason. Anaheim even offered him three guaranteed years. Maybe they'd have interest now. The Yankees could attached a fringe 40-man roster guy (Nestor Cortes? Greg Bird)?) to Happ a la Mitchell and Headley. If it saves them even $12M of the $17M left on Happ's deal, it's worth it, I think. The Yankees are not in position to give away pitching depth, but I'm not optimistic the 37-year-old who is losing velocity and bat-missing ability will rebound next year, and what kind of pitching depth is that? (I fully acknowledge Happ may again prove to be an effective back-end guy with the unjuiced baseball. Too bad we have no idea what ball to expect next year.) Dumping Happ and redirecting the money elsewhere seems worthwhile. I do not expect it happen, however, mostly because I think the Yankees still see him as a viable starting pitcher, and partly because I don't think there will be much of a market for him. That said, I don't see any way the Yankees let Happ's $17M option for 2021 vest. He needs to make 27 starts or throw 165 innings in 2020 for the option to vest (one or the other, not both). Happ made 30 starts this past season but only managed 161.1 innings, so avoiding the vesting option may be fairly easy, all things considered. To me, Happ is part of the problem, not the solution. If the Yankees can unload his salary and spend the money elsewhere, they should do it, even if it removes a potential starting pitcher option from the depth chart. Happ is depth, but not quality depth at this point, and certainly not inexpensive depth.

What I think the Yankees should do: Make Cole the highest paid pitcher ever
What I think the Yankees will do: "We feel getting full years of Severino and Montgomery are the best additions we can make to our pitching staff"

This one is pretty obvious. This offseason Gerrit Cole will be the best starting pitcher to hit free agency since Max Scherzer five years ago, and a pretty good case can be made that Cole now is better than Scherzer then. The side-by-side comparison:

Cole is excellent and he is clearly the best free agent fit for the Yankees since CC Sabathia back in the day. We could nitpick how Bryce Harper or Manny Machado fit last year, or whether giving Patrick Corbin six years was a smart move. I see no argument to be made against Cole. He is homer prone (1.23 HR/9) but everyone was homer prone in 2019, and 25 of the 29 homers he allowed this year were solo shots because he's so good at preventing baserunners overall. In all likelihood this was Cole's career year -- that 39.9% strikeout rate is the highest ever for a qualified starter -- and that's fine. Maybe you won't get this guy going forward, but there is no reason to believe Cole won't continue to be a top 10 starter the next few years. The stuff is so good and he's in his prime. He is exactly what the Yankees need and he'll only cost cash (and a draft pick). Here are the largest pitching contracts in baseball history:

1. David Price, Red Sox: 7 years, $217M ($31M per year)
2. Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers: 7 years, $215M ($30.7M per year)
3. Max Scherzer, Nationals: 7 years, $210M ($30M per year)
4. Zack Greinke, Diamondbacks: 6 years, $206.5M ($34.4M per year)
5. Justin Verlander, Tigers: 7 years, $180M ($25.7M per year)

Price holds the total guarantee record and Greinke holds the average annual value record among pitchers. I'm not sure Cole will break Greinke's record in this climate, but I am certain he and Scott Boras will try. Seven years at $35M per season equals $245M total. I think that's the ceiling for Cole. I have a hard time thinking multiple teams will get to that level and push the bidding even higher. Either way, this is when the Yankees need to throw the full financial weight of the franchise at the best free agent starting pitcher in a half-decade. The Yankees offered Sabathia the largest pitching contract in history on Day 1 of free agency in 2008. They did not mess around. He was a perfect fit, they knew it, and they let both him and other teams know they would not be outbid. The same should be true with Cole. That doesn't necessarily mean making a massive offer on Day 1. It just means not being outbid when you are the game's wealthiest franchise and the perfect free agent (or as close to perfect as it gets) is on the market. The Yankees should be willing to live with the luxury tax burden in 2020 knowing Masahiro Tanaka's and Jacoby Ellsbury's big contracts come off the backs after next season. The Yankees have f*ck you money and this is when they have to say f*ck you. What do I expect the Yankees to do? I expect them to make a serious but not too serious run at Cole. A significant offer but not significant enough to convince him not to go home to Southern California, either because it's short on dollars or (more likely) short on years. I really hope I'm wrong. It's just that the Yankees have given us no reason to believe they're willing to extend themselves to secure a big time free agent these last few years. The Ellsbury contract quickly and predictably blew up in their faces and they have shied away from the top of the free agent market since.

What I think the Yankees should do: Explore a trade for Kluber and/or Gray
What I think the Yankees will do: Explore trades for high-end starters, but not land one

Jon Gray, not Sonny. The Sonny Gray ship has sailed. Point is, I think the Yankees should sign Gerrit Cole and acquire another high-end starting pitcher. Signing Stephen Strasburg would be ideal -- he can opt out of the final four years and $100M on his contract this winter, though I suspect it's Nationals or his hometown Padres for him -- but that's not realistic. Zack Wheeler, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Madison Bumgarner are also available. Because the Yankees have so much money on the books next year already (approximately $210M), spending big money on two free agent starters seems unlikely. That's why I think a trade for a second starter is more likely than a second free agent signing. Kluber is owed $17.5M in real money next year, but his luxury tax hit is $16.5M, and the Yankees could always send some money the other way to offset cost (I have absolutely no idea who that player to go the other way would be). Cleveland is notoriously cash-strapped and they have a deep rotation:

1. Corey Kluber
2. Carlos Carrasco
3. Shane Bieber
4. Mike Clevinger
5. Zach Plesac
6. Aaron Civale
7. Adam Plutko
8. Logan Allen
9. Jefry Rodriguez

Trading Kluber to save money -- Francisco Lindor has a significant arbitration raise coming this offseason -- and turning the rotation spot over to one of the kids seems plausible. Kluber was hurt pretty much all year, but they were kinda dumb fluke injuries. A comebacker broke his forearm and then he pulled a muscle in his abdomen during his rehab. It's not like he hurt his shoulder or something. Kluber's value is down, and if you believe he still has another elite season (or even an above-average season) in him at age 34, this could be an chance to secure a quality second starter. As for Gray -- again, Jon, not Sonny -- the Rockies have no idea what they're doing, and apparently they're getting frustrated with Gray's inconsistency. He was very good this past season by Coors Field standards (3.84 ERA and 4.06 FIP) before a foot injury ended his season in August. He's young (27), he's affordable ($5.6M projected), he has the power stuff teams crave, and the Yankees drafted him once upon a time (tenth round in 2011), so I he still might have some fans in the organization. The Rockies are the same team that replaced DJ LeMahieu with broken down Daniel Murphy, Adam Ottavino with no one in particular, and gave up on Mike Tauchman. There is heist potential when dealing with that front office, especially since Gray could be better away from Coors Field, in theory. I dunno, just spitballing some ideas for a second high-end starter. Cole is the must get this winter. Pairing him with Kluber or Gray or someone else like that would be rad. The Yankees will check in on everyone because they always check in on everyone, but I am not optimistic they will acquire a second potential impact starter, especially if they do spend big to sign Cole. I can't shake the feeling this winter's big pitching "additions" will be full seasons of Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery.

What I think the Yankees should do: Trade for Daniel Ponce de Leon
What I think the Yankees will do: Trade for someone who is not Daniel Ponce de Leon

What would a quasi-Offseason Plan post be without advocating a trade for a rando? Daniel Ponce de Leon, henceforth known as DPDL, has been an up-and-down depth arm with the Cardinals the last two years, pitching to a 3.31 ERA (3.98 FIP) in 81.2 big league innings and a 2.54 ERA (4.13 FIP) in 180.2 Triple-A innings. Blame the walk rate (12.1% in Triple-A) for the high FIP. DPDL has a unique backstory. He was a senior sign in the ninth round in 2014 out of (checks notes) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, and he nearly died after being hit in the temple by a line drive in April 2017. He suffered a skull fracture and needed emergency surgery to stop the bleeding in his brain, and now he has a permanent dent in his head. Seriously. DPDL somehow made it back in time for Spring Training 2018, and he made his MLB debut later that season. Pretty cool. Anyway, the backstory is not why I want the Yankees to trade for him. I want the Yankees to trade for him because the 27-year-old righty is a four-pitch guy (four-seamer, cutter, curveball, changeup) with good spin rates and a knack for missing the barrel ...

...  and he pitches with the fearlessness you'd expect from a dude who nearly died on the mound. No matter what level of pressure or adversity he feels on the field, DPDL has been through worse. Here's some video. By no means do I think DPDL can be an impact starter or anything like that. I think the tools are there to be a solid mid-rotation to back-end guy, and those guys are valuable in their own way. A right-handed Jordan Montgomery, basically. He has a minor league option for next year, so he can go up and down as needed, and even if starting doesn't work out, the tools are there to be a useful reliever. I dunno. DPDL is a personal favorite and I think it would be cool if the Yankees acquire him. Maybe Clint Frazier for DPDL since the Yankees are dead set on trading Clint? Like I said, DPDL is a personal favorite, but I don't expect the Yankees to actually trade for him. It's a little too out there, if you know what I mean. They'll trade (Frazier) for someone though. You watch.

(Send your mailbag questions to RABmailbag at gmail dot com. I'll fire the mailbag back up next week. I want to get this quasi-Offseason Plan into its own post.)