Are the Yankees on the brink of a big move?
General manager Brian Cashman was scheduled to appear on MLB Network Tuesday afternoon at the winter meetings in Dallas, but host Greg Amsinger said that he bailed three minutes before they went on the air.
That sparked immediate speculation that the Yankees were working on a transaction.
“He’s making moves. Something’s percolating,” analyst Mark DeRosa said. “Honestly, without question, or he’d be here.”
The Yankees have entered the Plan B phase of their offseason after spending weeks trying to convince Juan Soto to remain in The Bronx, only to see him switch boroughs by signing with the Mets on a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract that can reach $805 million if they void the 26-year-old’s opt-out after Year 5.
Soto is also getting a $75 million signing bonus that is free of state income tax since he lives in Florida.
The Yankees offered 16 years and $760 million with a $60 million signing bonus.
There are front-of-the-rotation pitchers available in free agency such as Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, and a trade option in the White Sox’s Garrett Crochet.
Offensively, they are in discussions with free-agent first baseman Christian Walker, The Post’s Joel Sherman reported Tuesday.
Longtime Mets slugger Pete Alonso is another free-agent first base option.
The Yankees missed on a chance to pursue infielder Willy Adames, who agreed to a seven-year, $182 million contract with the Giants on Saturday while the Yankees were still in the Soto sweepstakes.
Cashman said he does want to be aggressive in upgrading a roster that, with Soto, fell to the Dodgers in the World Series, though he did acknowledge there are limits.
“Typically you have to get out of your comfort zone [in free agency],” Cashman said Monday. “But we’re also at the same time not going to be drunken sailors. We’re going to do our best to try to improve the team.”
