If one had to pick the single most consequential move of the Yankees offseason, it’d almost certainly be the mid-March trade with the Minnesota Twins. The deal that sent Gio Urshela and Gary Sánchez to Minnesota for the services of Josh Donaldson, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Ben Rortvedt spoke volumes not only by the departures and arrivals but also by what they meant.
It became clear that the Yankees were going to prioritize defense at the catcher production, that the team wasn’t satisfied with the overall production at third base, and perhaps most importantly, that it wouldn’t be going after a shortstop.