Yankees Free Agent Predictions

Free agency is officially upon us, and it's time to start pondering where the biggest fish in this year's pond will end up. As always, the New York Yankees will be a preeminent talking point with Brian Cashman motivated to build upon last year's success which saw him sign slugger DJ LeMahieu.

It's quite apparent that the Pinstripes are keen on the deep pitching pool, but which of the top unemployed hurlers will they manage to poach?

Here are a few predictions for the Yankees this offseason.

They Miss Out on Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, and Anthony Rendon

It's largely agreed upon that Cole, Strasburg, and Rendon are the cream of this year's free agency crop, right? While Cashman would love nothing more than to add another superstar, those three players will simply demand too much money. Let's remember how much loot the Yanks dished out to Luis Severino and Aaron Hicks last offseason.

Not to mention an Aaron Judge (and Gleyber Torres) extension looms in the near future. The sheer demands of Cole, Rendon, and Strasburg will be too significant for Cashman to bring them aboard. The Evil Empire will have to wait another year before officially returning.

Didi Gregorius Moves On

Gregorius struggled in his return from Tommy John surgery and Cashman's quotes from Friday indicate that he isn't all that motivated to retain the 29-year-old shortstop.

Given that he has Torres and LeMahieu ready to deploy in the middle infield, something tells us that he will permit another team to overpay for Didi. He's a fan favorite in the Bronx so it will be a tough pill to swallow for the majority of Yanks supporters, but his moving on would leave the door open to a Francisco Lindor trade.

Yankees Retain Brett Gardner

Gardner wasn't expected to play a significant role in 2019, but the Yankees trio of star outfielders -- Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Aaron Hicks -- couldn't stay healthy, and Gardy enjoyed a fantastic campaign.

He clubbed a career-high 28 home runs and, as always, personified an elite glove in the outfield. If Cashman can persuade the 36-year-old to return on roughly a $3 million deal, the GM should absolutely pull the trigger. Let's be honest, do we really expect Gardner to end his career somewhere outside of the Bronx? Expect the Yanks to retain the ageless vet.

Yankees Sign Zack Wheeler

As expected, Wheeler declined his $17.8 million club option with the Mets in favor of testing free agency. The Yankees are definitely interested in the 29-year-old right-hander as they tried to work out a trade with the Amazins ahead of the 2019 deadline. Of course, a deal wasn't to be, but all signs point to Wheeler making the switch from Queens to the Bronx. Look for Cashman to make it official in the weeks to come.

Yankees Land Madison Bumgarner

That's right, folks. The Yankees' pitching wasn't anywhere close to the problem in October, with their offense failing to muster the big hit on countless occasions. With that being said, the bullpen was cooked by the ALCS because of the staff's inability to go deep into games.

Therefore, look for Cashman to sign Bumgarner to round out his rotation this winter. Just think about the sheer potential of a staff that features Masahiro Tanaka, Severino, James Paxton, Zack Wheeler, and MadBum. Couple that elite bunch with a world-beating offense and the Bombers would immediately morph into the indisputable World Series favorites