Yankees reportedly begin roster rebuild by releasing 6 players

Changes are afoot in the Bronx. Hal Steinbrenner’s famed audit is finally here. The offseason is just days away after MLB crowned a new champion. The San Diego Padres might be inching closer to trading Juan Soto. The New York Yankees need to be at the forefront of all the action once it commences.

Fans would’ve preferred if the audit had taken place in October, or if some other internal decisions were made over the last month while the team was eliminated from postseason contention, but silly us for thinking urgency might’ve taken centerstage.

Finally, however, the Yankees have woken up from their slumber. The day after the World Series, they outrighted six players in what is the beginning of a likely partial roster teardown to prepare for a clean slate in 2024. The Yankees finished 82-80 in 2023, which was their worst record in 30 years. That cannot happen again.

So, on Thursday, the Yankees said goodbye to Domingo Germán (four years too late), Matt Bowman, Franchy Cordero, Jimmy Cordero, Billy McKinney and Ryan Weber. They will not be on the team come March.

All those guys were on the 40-man roster, which is going to have a lot of space next week. On top of the departing free agents, the Yankees still have more players that don’t have a place on the 40-man next season based on what we saw over the last year.

Yankees reportedly begin roster rebuild by releasing 6 players

Germán and [Jimmy] Cordero simply had to go as quickly as possible. Germán was suspended by the team after an alleged alcohol-infused fit of rage in the clubhouse, which came four years after he was suspended (and derailed the team’s playoff run) for being disciplined under the league’s domestic violence policy. Cordero was suspended under the same policy this past July.

Weber, who could’ve probably held onto a spot if he hadn’t suffered an injury, will be out for all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Bowman, [Franchy] Cordero and Billy McKinney aren’t regular contributors on a contending roster. Though Cordero and McKinney had hot stretches that suggested they might be able to reach that ceiling, their larger sample sizes were dreadful as the year wore on.

The Yankees have housed far too much roster fodder during a period that should’ve been more highly regarded as a stable window of contention. They’re playing too many games; trying to win every trade, save every penny, and outsmart everybody around them.

Well, the rest of the league has closed the gap. And they closed it before Cashman and Aaron Boone even knew it. Now the Yankees are getting lapped. Shucking six players off the roster is a start. And there are probably another 10 more that can (and hopefully will) follow.