A popular social media one-liner after the MLB labor strife ended went something like this: Do the Yankees know the lockout is over? Cue the laugh track here.
It was funny for a few days, but it doesn’t apply anymore. Yes, baseball’s traditional masters of the “wow” transaction had been all but dormant this off-season. But that changed Sunday night with a blockbuster, five-player trade with the Twins that jolted the roster.
The Yanks brought in a new left side of the infield, signaled “no” to anyone fantasizing that they’d sign mega-shortstop Carlos Correa, and, perhaps, offered some addition by subtraction by sending embattled catcher Gary Sánchez to Minnesota. The Yankees swapped Sánchez and third baseman Gio Urshela for former MVP Josh Donaldson, who figures to man third base, shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and catcher Ben Rortvedt.
After the deal, their defense should be better. Maybe Donaldson’s fiery intensity can help kick start an offense that was an enormous disappointment last year. And they’ll no longer carry the angst of Sánchez behind the plate, where his lack of defensive expertise was more tolerable before his slugging began sagging.
If Donaldson is healthy, he offers power and on-base skills. He smacked 26 homers and had an .827 OPS in 135 games for the Twins last year. There’s risk, though – he’s 36 and injuries have dogged several of his recent seasons.
An aside: It’ll be interesting to see how he and Gerrit Cole get along after Donaldson called out Cole’s lessened spin rate following last season’s flap over the use of sticky stuff by MLB pitchers. The most likely outcome is two guys with no hard feelings, all in the name of the quest for a championship. Figure on them making nice in public, complete with a made-for-Instagram handshake or bro hug. But if anything lingers, well, it gives us theater for a whole season, right?
The Yankees have long liked Kiner-Falefa as a potential shortstop stopgap until their two shortstop prospects – Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza – are ready. They watched, apparently unruffled, as star free agents such as Corey Seager and Marcus Semien went elsewhere.
The Texas Rangers had traded Kiner-Falefa to the Twins on Saturday, seemingly closing another potential path to replacing Gleyber Torres at short (he’s now the second baseman) for the Yankees. A day later, though, Kiner-Falefa, who turns 27 next week, is a Yankee. He’s an able fielder – he won the 2020 Gold Glove at third base before transitioning to shortstop last year, where he got good reviews via the eye test and by metrics. He’s no Correa, offensively, though – his lifetime OPS is .670.
Rortvedt, a 24-year-old former second round pick, batted .169 with three homers in 39 games with the Twins last year. He is a lefty hitter, so multiple reports Sunday night suggested he and incumbent backup Kyle Higashioka, a righty, would platoon behind the plate. Rortvedt is well-known by at least one Yankees staff member – catching coordinator Tanner Swanson held the same role with the Twins from 2018-19.
Their offensive output might not match the heights Sánchez could reach. At one time, Sánchez was one of the brightest young sluggers in baseball. He smashed 20 homers in just 53 games in 2016. A year later, he hit 33 homers; two years after that, he blasted 34.
But despite diligent work, his skills behind the plate never blossomed, other than a powerful throwing arm. Higashioka became the regular catcher for Cole, the club’s $324-million ace.
In 2020, Sánchez batted just .147 and, while he rebounded a bit in 2021, he still struggled beyond showing power at the plate. As his offense dwindled, shortcomings on defense became even more glaring.
Questions constantly swirled around his status. It all got to be so much. Maybe Sánchez will be better off with a change of scenery.
Even though Urshela was a consistent contributor on offense and defense, the Yankees are probably better off with Donaldson, Kiner-Falefa, and Rortvedt. Can’t say the Yanks haven’t done anything now, though to fully evaluate this deal, we have to know what’s coming next, too.
Because they probably need to do more. They likely will. First base must be addressed. Could they seek center field help, too? A pitcher? They did not trade any big leaguers for Donaldson, et al, so a system with depth still offers options to move if they’re working on another blockbuster.
How about Matt Olson, the lefty Oakland A’s slugger, at first base?