🚀 Yankees’ Shocking Moves! Unveiling 3 Star Free Agents and a Mind-Blowing Trade Target! #YankeesNation #MLBInsider

The festive season has concluded, and 2024 has arrived, signaling the imminent return of baseball. Before the season kicks off, numerous MLB free agents are seeking teams, and the New York Yankees are expected to be active in the market.

General manager Brian Cashman has been active in trades, acquiring players like Alex Verdugo, Trent Grisham, and Juan Soto to strengthen the team’s offense. However, the Yankees have yet to spend money on free agents, placing them among four teams, including the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins, and Colorado Rockies, that haven’t signed a big-league free agent as of a January 3 ESPN article by Jeff Passan.

While the Yankees have been mentioned in connection with several free-agent pitchers, such as Jordan Montgomery, Shōta Imanaga, and Josh Hader, their primary interest appears to be in bringing back Montgomery, who they drafted in 2014 and traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 2022. Despite their earlier decision to part ways with Montgomery, the Yankees now seem keen on reacquiring the left-hander, who won a World Series with the Texas Rangers.

Imanaga is also in the mix, with his posting window set to close on January 11. However, the Yankees may have reservations about him due to his tendency to be a fly-ball pitcher, which might be a concern given the home run-friendly nature of Yankee Stadium.

As for Hader, the Yankees, along with the Rangers and Los Angeles Dodgers, are reportedly interested in the closer, who is looking to surpass Edwin Diaz’s relief pitcher contract record.

In the event that the Yankees are not fully sold on Imanaga and Montgomery signs elsewhere, the team may explore trade options for a starting pitcher. One attractive option is Jesús Luzardo, a Marlins pitcher coming off a successful 2023 season with a 10-10 record, 3.58 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 208 strikeouts in 178.2 innings. With three years of team control remaining, Luzardo is a coveted trade candidate, drawing interest from not only the Yankees but also the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Baltimore Orioles, as noted by Passan.