A look at Brian Cashman's biggest tasks as the Yankees' long offseason begins

NEW YORK – Speaking publicly for the first time since a crushing 2021 finish, Brian Cashman termed it “my toughest year’’ in 24 seasons as Yankees general manager.

“Just seemed like it was two different teams,’’ Cashman said of a club that stumbled through the first half, reeled off a 13-game winning streak and stumbled again before clinching a wild card spot.

But a club with World Series aspirations made a one-day appearance in the playoffs, ushering in a long winter for a team that “at times looked unstoppable but many other times unwatchable’’ due to its inconsistency.

A breakdown of Cashman’s comments about his roster construction for 2022:

The shortstop situation 

Cashman said that shortstop is “definitely an area of need, we’re going to have to address it.’’

This is Cashman’s biggest winter priority, and the decision will have ripple effects on the roster – starting with DJ LeMahieu’s role.

Cashman now believes that opening day shortstop Gleyber Torres is “best served at second base,’’ with the need for a defensive upgrade at a critical position.

Whether this requires a stopgap or a longer-term solution remains to be seen, though this would be a grand time to play on a free agent market led by Corey Seager and Carlos Correa.

Top shortstop prospects Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe are at least a year away, and are also valuable potential trade chips.

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Gary Sanchez's future 

There are no guarantees about Gary Sanchez's future in pinstripes.

Cashman wouldn’t specifically delve into Sanchez’s standing, except to praise his “heart’’ and “effort’’ at making defensive gains in 2021.

Sanchez’s falloff later in the season was also acknowledged by the GM, and “We’re going to evaluate all available options,’’ from the catching market to Kyle Higashioka – the preferred receiver of ace Gerrit Cole, keeping Sanchez on the bench in the AL wild card elimination game.

Once more, there’s a real possibility of non-tendering Sanchez, entering his free-agent walk season.

First base scenarios

Cashman offered praise for the contact ability, power and defense of Anthony Rizzo, who is weeks away from becoming a free agent.

So, there’s a chance the Yankees could reunite with Rizzo, who performed well in his two months in the Bronx and provide a much-needed lefty-hitting presence.

Rizzo, 32, reportedly rejected a five-year, $70 million spring training offer from the Chicago Cubs, who traded him to the Yankees before the July 30 deadline.

At the same time, Cashman could not strike a deal for Luke Voit, who was bothered all season by a bad left knee and ultimately finished the year on the injured list.

Assuming Voit is not in their plans, the Yanks could float something like a three-year, $51 million offer to Rizzo or switch LeMahieu over to first – a less appealing option.

The grades are in:How the 2021 Yankees fared on their final report card

Outfield outlook

Cashman admitted that the ’21 Yankees were “not as athletic or contact-oriented as we’d like to be,’’ and expressed a desire to provide manager Aaron Boone with “a more flexible roster.’’

Does part of that flexibility mean that Giancarlo Stanton sees more outfield appearances in 2022?

Either way, Cashman indicated that the “very athletic’’ Joey Gallo – with a year of team control remaining - was in the club’s 2022 plans, despite his rough Bronx experience.

Arriving via trade from the last place Texas Rangers, Gallo batted .160 in 58 games and struck out 88 times in 188 at-bats, while more than occasionally having a rough go in left field and looking out of place in the New York spotlight.

Following wrist surgery, oft-injured Aaron Hicks could play Winter Ball before returning as the opening day center fielder, with Aaron Judge coming off his best year since 2017.

The fates of Brett Gardner (player option) and Clint Frazier remain up in the air, with Frazier at home following a lost season due to a poor start and vertigo-like symptoms that ended his year in early July. 

Roster shaping 101

In general, Cashman is “open to anything and everything’’ to improve a disappointing roster.

There were “certain things that were head scratching and frustrating,’’ led by a loaded lineup that finished 10th in runs, seventh in OPS and first in grounding into double plays.

“All of that falls on my responsibility,’’ said Cashman, seeking to find whether there were systemic problems or statistical aberrations at the root cause.

But Cashman still praised the club’s analytical team and recommended the return of Boone, who just signed a three-year extension with an option for 2025.

“I think a manager is only as good as the players he’s got,’’ Cashman said.

Pete Caldera is the Yankees beat writer for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to all Yankees analysis, news, trades and more, please subscribe today and download our app.

Email: caldera@northjersey.com Twitter: @pcaldera