Brian Cashman said he is "99.9 percent plus" done shaping the roster of the 2017 Yankees. But the general manager, in an appearance Monday night on the YES Network, said he is still talking trades and engaging on free agents, especially with the glut of available talent on the free-agent market and the possibility that prices are dropping to bargain-basement levels.
"I spent some time on the phone today regarding free agency," Cashman said. "Just to make sure I keep our oar in the water as the market probably is collapsing for a lot of guys this close to spring training. So you want to make sure that you keep your finger on the pulse, so I can make sure Hal Steinbrenner is aware there could be opportunities at cheaper prices than expected. But realistically, the trade front has been the more active conversations, not that there's anything pending. I do believe we're at 99.9 percent plus that what we have is what we're going to camp with, but you have to continue to stay engaged."
The free-agent market is filled with sluggers such as Jose Bautista, Mark Trumbo, Mike Napoli and Chris Carter, but the Yankees aren't looking to abandon the youth movement they began last July. Cashman's biggest need is starting pitching, and the free-agent market is barren in that area.
That's why the Yankees have been linked in trade talks with the White Sox for lefty Jose Quintana. But Cashman didn't sound optimistic.
"I've stayed in touch, clearly," Cashman said. "They are a team, like we were last summer, open to moving players and pressing their reset button. ... I think it's created a really high sticker price out there, which more likely than not prevents a deal or deals from being more easily made. So we'll stay engaged, but I'd say again sticker price of what the market is out there for anybody _ not just the White Sox, anybody _ it's tough to do business under these current conditions."
Cashman did say he already has offered some of his prized prospects in proposed deals this offseason.
"I'm willing to put some high-end prospects on the table to get deals done and I have done that so far this winter," he said. "But the price tags out there are even higher than that."
