Top targets, fallback options for all 30 teams
New York Yankees
Status: Contender while rebuilding
Top target: Aroldis Chapman
The Yankees are planning to contend while they continue to rebuild, and bringing back their former closer, Aroldis Chapman, is at the top of their list. Chapman is expected to become the highest-paid closer in baseball history, and if the Yankees can’t get him, they’ll look to their second choice in Kenley Jansen. The Yanks are also making plays on impact bats like Edwin Encarnacion and Carlos Beltran. And they have had conversations about some of the premium starting pitchers on the trade market as well as free-agent left-hander Rich Hill. Expect the Yankees to make some headlines in December, both with free agents and trades, while holding on to most of the top prospects they’ve been accumulating over the past several years.
Fallback options: Kenley Jansen, Greg Holland, Wade Davis