If you woke up this morning and expected to see another Yankees roster move to make room for both DJ LeMahieu and Corey Kluber, it probably made sense. If you woke up this morning and expected the Yankees to possibly move reliever Adam Ottavino, it also follows recent news.
If you woke up this morning and expected the Yankees with the Red Sox about an Ottavino trade, well, I want to get tomorrow’s lottery numbers from you as soon as possible. This is their first trade since the infamous Stephen Drew trade deadline in 2014.
Lindsey Adler van The Athletics broke the surprising news that Ottavino sent to Boston on Monday for lunch, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post report to ensure Boston takes on the fight all but $ 850,000 of his remaining contract, prospect Frank German would be on his way to the Red Sox with Ottavino. German was only considered by MLB Pipeline as the number 24 prospect in the Yankees system, so it’s not a big loss, but why was he connected? To, of course, free up extra wage space.
Ottavino must pay $ 8 million this year. Count $ 9 million for luxury tax purposes. So if you take most of it out, it gives the NYY more agility to try to do more SP, another RP, LH bat or SS depth. Given a chance to get the most out of the dollar and create flexibility.
Joel Sherman (@ Joelsherman1) 25 January 2021
Fascinating.
To those who wondered if the Yankees really which is meant to stay below the $ 210 million threshold to avoid CBT fines, should be your final confirmation. It’s a cleaning move, clear and simple. It does not matter that Ottavino was good in 2019, or that a few bad months that pretended to be a full season clouded his reputation. It does not even matter that there is an easily predictable scenario where Ottavino will carve out the Yankees’ right-heavy series in important games next summer! Hal Steinbrenner wanted to find a way to move money, the consequences of which would be condemned.
I know the Yankees needed to find an extra spot on the roster, but sending a potential bullet weapon to a division rival is a questionable way to do it. It does not help that we somehow get the story “Ottavino could not handle New York” already, even though the man literally comes from Brooklyn (like noticed by Jon Heyman).
Anyway, congratulations to the Steinbrenner family who saved money. Ideally, Ottavino proves that she herself is indeed who he is moving forward to by 2020, and Brian Cashman is able to redistribute his salary space to more essential grid pieces that go beyond the signing of Brett Gardner. We’ll see.