If there were any way a potential free-agent acquisition for the New York Yankees could plummet his stock, it would be to insult Derek Jeter. While fans are up in arms over Carlos Correa’s latest comments, indicating that Jeter didn’t deserve to win any of his five Gold Glove awards, management doesn’t seem phased by his words.
General manager Brian Cashman brushed off Correa’s statement, professing he is a talented player; the Yankees will be considering him this off-season as a potential solution at shortstop. However, Cashman wasn’t the only one to endorse Correa despite his ill-advised words.
Skipper Aaron Boone, who recently signed a three-year extension with the team, came to Correa’s defense, mentioning his development and that he is entering the prime of his career.
“Great player. I think he’s in the prime of his career, entering the prime of his career, and part of what is a very special shortstop class. He’s really developed into a leader with the Astros.”
The Yankees are heavily involved in the short-stop market, as they are also connected with Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cashman could go a bevy of different directions, but Boone indicated that youngsters Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe will be playing a part in their decision.
“There’s no question that factors in because we do feel like with Peraza and Volpe, we have two future impact big-league players… That’s all part of the equation.”If the team is hoping that Peraza and Volpe will be available to fill the shortstop position, Seager might be the more clear-cut option. Correa is a bonafide shortstop that likely wouldn’t take too well to transitioning to the hot corner in the future, but most believe Seager is willing to make that transition after a few seasons. If the Yankees want a player who’s a bit more flexible and adds a bit of diversity to the batting order, Seager is their guy. Seager is coming off a season where he hit .306 with 16 homers and 57 RBIs over 95 games. As an above-average offensive and defensive player, the only concern is his health history. However, Correa also has his fair share of issues in that category, so Cashman would simply be picking the lesser of two evils.
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