Deter Jeter will no longer suit up for the Yankees after the 2014 season comes to a conclusion. New York needs to find a reliable successor at shortstop in the offseason to help them get back into the playoff conversation. Here are some possible options for the Yanks:
Free Agents
Hanley Ramirez: The Los Angeles Dodgers tabled contract talks with the shortstop in August and he'll likely enter free agency in the offseason. Ramirez reportedly wants a deal in excess of $130 million, but based on his injury history it's highly unlikely a team will throw that kind of money at him, especially if the Dodgers are apparently unwilling to do so. But New York can still coax him with a solid chunk of cash (since we saw in the offseason they're not afraid to spend) and he can bring some more power to the Bronx.
Asdrubal Cabrera: The Nationals traded for the Indians shortstop prior to the trade deadline to fill a void in their middle infield. Cabrera has been playing second base in Washington, but he's mostly played shortstop for his entire career. He provides solid power numbers (69 home runs and 281 RBIs from 2011-2014) and he'll probably be one of the better values signings among the 2015 free agent shortstops.
J.J. Hardy: Hardy has spent the past four years in Baltimore and has put up serious power numbers for a shortstop. His stats drastically declined this year, but in 2011 he belted 30 home runs and 80 RBIs; then added 22 homers and 68 RBIs in 2012; and hit 25 and 76 last season. He's only hit nine homers and batted in 52 runs this year, but has a .980 fielding percentage, which New York could use in their middle infield. According to the New York Post, Hardy said he would listen if the Yankees called him in the offseason.
Trade Options
Troy Tulowitzki: Probably not going to happen, but it's fun to speculate, right? Tulowitzki underwent season-ending hip surgery in August, which brings down his trade value if the Yankees were interested. The Mets expressed interest in Tulowitzki prior to the trade deadline and offered a package that included pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard, but the Rockies said no, so their willingness to move him is unknown at this point. He's signed through 2020, but Colorado might have to move on and shed his salary since injuries have limited him to just 264 games in the past three seasons. Tulo appeared at a Yankees game earlier this year before seeking a medical opinion for his hip, and when asked about potentially being an option to replace Jeter, he replied:
"Everybody wants that perfect story, whoever it may be. Whether it's me or somebody else who took over for Derek, no doubt, it makes for a great story. But for right now, it's just talk until it gets closer to happening in the offseason."
Starlin Castro (or any other young Cubs' shortstop): Before all of you Cubs fans come chasing me with pitchforks, just listen for a moment. Chicago has Starlin Castro as their starting shortstop, but they also called up prospects Javier Baez (a shortstop who was brought up to play second base) and Arismendy Alcantara (a second baseman who has been moved to center field). They also have another shortstop in Addison Russell, who is ranked the fifth-best prospect in the minors. Oh yeah, and last summer they signed 17-year-old Gleyber Torres, the No. 2 international prospect, who has a .297 batting average with 37 runs scored and 10 stolen bases in 50 minor league games this year. If the Cubs can't land a starting pitcher in the offseason, they might be inclined to trade one of their young shortstops for somebody on New York's staff or in their farm system (i.e. Ian Clarkin or Luis Severino). But anyway, unless the Cubs are looking to build an arsenal of middle infielders, they're probably going to trade one of them for value elsewhere, even if the Yankees aren't involved.
