LAS VEGAS – Brian Cashman and the Yankees face a math problem when it comes to assembling their positional group for the 2027 season – likely a defensive one as well.
Cashman spoke to reporters for 90 minutes Tuesday while at the GM meetings and dropped bread crumbs about how he views roster building this offseason. Most important when it comes to shaping the positional group, Cashman said he views Giancarlo Stanton as a player who finished the 2026 season healthy and would enter 2027 spring training as the DH. In other words, the Yankees are not considering eating the $20 million he is owed to release him and perhaps make the roster more functional.
Now, it would be financially unwise to release Stanton or Ryan McMahon (owed $16 million now). A released player would be paid in full even if a lockout led to missed regular season games. But no team has to pay its players during a lockout. So it behooves the Yankees (or any team) not to release a player because, for example, if a quarter of the season is lost in 2027, the Yankees would pay Stanton $15 million rather than the $20 million if he were released.
However, I do not believe this is merely a financial calculation. Cashman said he believes a healthy Stanton would remain an offensive force while also being a mature, truth-telling leader of the clubhouse. But two problems arise from this:
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