Soon after the 2018 season ended in a division series loss to the rival Boston Red Sox, the Yankees front office devised an offseason strategy. Upgrading the rotation, maintaining a dominant bullpen, and finding a replacement for injured shortstop Didi Gregorius were identified as priorities by General Manager Brian Cashman.
Although the overwhelming majority of Yankees fans hoped and expected the team to seriously pursue top free agents Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Patrick Corbin, that turned out to be nothing more than wishful thinking.