Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman have already been asked about making a big free agent splash, and sparking a potential clubhouse controversy, by bringing in superstar shortstop Carlos Correa this offseason.
Both spoke highly of the talented Correa, and owner Hal Steinbrenner can now be included in that group.
Speaking at the owners’ meetings in Chicago, Steinbrenner was asked about Correa, one of the biggest free agent names on the market this winter. And Steinbrenner, without directly naming Correa, made it clear that he has moved on from the Astros’ cheating scandal, and others should as well.
“He’s obviously a great talent,” Steinbrenner said, via ESPN. “I think, hopefully, most people have moved on from that. I think it’s only healthy to move on from things like that instead of stewing on it year after year.”
Correa was one of the most outspoken Astros players during the trash can-banging scandal, and is a core member of the Houston teams that eliminated the Yanks from the playoffs in the 2017 and 2019 ALCS, before the cheating scandal broke. But he is also a superb defensive shortstop who smacked 26 home runs and put up an .850 OPS this season, when he was just 26 years old.
Correa would significantly improve the Yankees on both sides of the ball, and if the Yanks decided to pursue him, management and the front office seem ready to forget about past differences for the sake of winning.
“People have the opinion that they want to have about that particular player,” Steinbrenner said. “But, in general, we’re going to look at every single option. It’s the same thing we do every year.”
Steinbrenner was also asked about a current Yankee in Joey Gallo, who came with expectations when he arrived via trade prior to this year’s deadline. But Gallo struck out 88 times in 58 games in pinstripes, batting .160 with a .707 OPS. But Steinbrenner is confident that the two-time All-Star will get back to his career norm, which is an .821 OPS over seven seasons, in what will be his first full season in New York next year.
“We got him because I loved the left-handed bat,” Steinbrenner said, via the New York Post. “I loved the personality. He’s great in the clubhouse. And he’s a great talent…Do I wish he had performed a bit better? Yes, of course. But I’m not worried. Watch him next year.”
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