The Yankees are walking a financial tightrope, sitting slightly above the fourth luxury tax threshold at $301 million. Their plan to get under that number is simple: trade Marcus Stroman and offload as much of his $18.5 million salary as possible. While shedding that contract would create some breathing room, it’s becoming increasingly clear that general manager Brian Cashman isn’t operating with an open checkbook.
It’s not that the Yankees are broke—they never will be—but there’s an undeniable hesitancy to push their spending beyond a certain point.
Compared to Steve Cohen’s Mets and the deep-pocketed Dodgers, who spend like hedge funds gobbling up every available asset, the Yankees are taking a far more conservative approach.