FORCING THE YANKEES OVER THE LUXURY TAX

While many believe that DJ LeMahieu could be the person or entity that puts the Yankees over the luxury tax, it might not be him or his agent after all. The recent moves that the cross town rivals have made to acquire not only Francisco Lindor but Carlos Carrasco may have forced the Yankees hand to go bigger. And the New York Mets may not be done yet. 

Source: The New York Times

"The Yankees will be faced with increasing pressure to compete for New York City supremacy with new Mets owner Steve Cohen, while also trying to avoid the MLB Luxury Tax. Without question, the abilities of Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman are being challenged and tested this offseason," reported Forbes.

Source: The New York Times

The Yankees need starting pitching. Well that's a familiar tune. Luis Severino won't be 100% this season and it is not clear what kind of impact Jordan Montgomery will have. Masahiro Tanaka will likely go elsewhere and Trevor Bauer may be more expensive than originally anticipated. The Mets could easily go for either of those two candidates, again adding more fuel to the Yankee fire.

"The Yankees may turn to prospect Clarke Schmidt or other pitchers currently in development to complete their starting rotation. That path would be the least expensive, but it brings risk," reported Forbes. The risk also increases the heat on the Yankees Hot Stove.  Sure, the New York Mets could also go after LeMahieu, which will break a lot of hearts in the Bronx. "According to Yahoo Sports, LeMahieu has also drawn interest from the Braves, Cardinals and Red Sox and expects to have virtual meetings with some teams in the coming week. The Mets have also been a potential match, but with the addition of Lindor, that now seems less likely," report the New York Post. 

Everyday that goes by makes it easier for LeMahieu to cut ties with the Yankees. If Michael Kay can't rile up the Yankees maybe Cohen and the Mets can. 

--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof