STEINBRENNER OPENS UP
ORLANDO, FLA. (AP) >> Hal Steinbrenner had heard the constant criticism in New York: Why haven’t the Yankees tried to sign Bryce Harper or Manny Machado?
“I get hammered every year about something,” the New York owner said Thursday. “If you don’t win the World Series, that’s perfectly justifiable.”
Speaking at the owners’ meetings, Steinbrenner would not rule out more moves before opening day but sounded as if a deal for a high-priced free agent is unlikely.
“Fans should keep an open mind that I’m never done until I’m done, and that’s usually not until opening day,” he said. “Proposals come to me every day with these guys, between the analytics guys and the pro scouting guys, and I’m going to consider every single one of them.”
New York’s offseason moves included re-signing CC Sabathia, Brett Gardner, J.A. Happ and Zack Britton, acquiring James Paxton in a trade, and signing reliever Adam Ottavino and infielders DJ LeMahieu and Troy Tulowitzki.
After New York avoided the luxury tax last year for the first time since it was established in 2003, the contracts with LeMahieu and Ottavino have lifted the Yankees’ projected luxury tax payroll to about $220 million, well above the $206 million threshold.
Still, not the splashy moves
his father, George Steinbrenner, was famous for.
And although Hal Steinbrenner doesn’t listen to sports radio and devour the tabloids, he’s kept abreast of the vox populi by nephew Stephen Swindal Jr., assistant director of player development.
New York had the major leagues’ top payroll for 15 straight years through 2013 but has not since and was sixth last year. Many fans say because the Yankees have the highest revenue, they should spend the most on players.
“With no discussion of our costs, that’s always the problem,” Steinbrenner said. “I hear everything about our revenues, I hear nothing about our cost. I hear nothing about the gargantuan debt service payment that we have to pay every year (on bonds that financed new Yankee Stadium), nothing about all of our stadium operations, all the security, not to mention player payroll, not to mention revenue sharing.”
And he keeps in mind the price of keeping Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez, Gleyber Torres and other emerging young stars.
“I have to look at the big picture, and it is my responsibility — that my family expects, my partners expect — not just to look at the present but to look at the future, too,” he said. “Three, four, five years from now we get a lot of homegrown kids that we love, our fans love, that are going to be coming up for free agency.”
Steinbrenner has said many times he didn’t think a team had to spend $200 million to win a championship. New York reached the 2019 threshold by signing Britton, and Steinbrenner gave general manager Brian Cashman authority to keep spending.
“We weren’t good enough, so we went out and signed a really good contact hitter in DJ, who can play multiple positions,” Steinbrenner said. “And then we went and got Ottavino really to secure a pretty good bullpen, which can certainly help the starting rotation, right?”