Yankees passed on Bryce Harper in 2019. Was it a mistake? Mailbag, part 3

Any time Bryce Harper does something spectacular, New York Yankees fans get the same heartburn that one experiences after eating Taco Bell at 2 a.m. after a night of drinking. That’s what happened on Wednesday night when he hit two home runs and leaned into the theater by staring Atlanta Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia down after he openly mocked the Philadelphia Phillies star for getting thrown out at first base to end Game 2.

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Harper grew up a Yankees fan and seemed destined to one day have a plaque in Monument Park when the team would inevitably sign him to a long-term contract in free agency. That did not happen, and the decision to pass on him has hurt the Yankees over the past few seasons, especially with what the team lacks now.

That decision is what we use to lead off the final part of our Yankees mailbag. Let’s get to it now.

Looking back, was it a mistake to not sign Harper? — Anonymous 

There’s a copious amount of revisionist history going on these days with the Yankees’ decision to not sign Bryce Harper in 2019. It all starts with the team’s decision to trade for Giancarlo Stanton and his $325 million contract in 2018.

At the time, Stanton was undoubtedly one of the very best players in the sport and coming off a season in which he won the National League MVP after hitting 59 home runs and posting a 1.007 OPS. As important for where the conversation stands today, Stanton played 159 games for the Miami Marlins in his MVP season. In his first season with the Yankees in 2018, Stanton posted a .852 OPS, hit 38 home runs and drove in 100 runs while playing 158 games. Stanton’s next two seasons were marred by injury. He bounced back in 2021 and was one of the few reasons to watch that slog of a season, and he single-handedly almost carried the Yankees past the Boston Red Sox in the one-game wild-card match. For the past two seasons, Stanton has again battled injuries, with this year looking quite alarming given his drop in production and jarring lack of mobility.

Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies in 2019 and has been one of the best overall players in the game, posting a .931 OPS in his four seasons while also simultaneously being one of the most clutch postseason hitters in MLB history. To Stanton’s credit, he has also delivered in the playoffs. Stanton has a .963 OPS in 27 playoff games.

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When the Yankees passed on Harper, general manager Brian Cashman said he was not a fit given the team had six outfielders and playing first base was seen as unrealistic. Since then, Harper has played first base for the Phillies but only after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Atta-boy, Harper

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) October 11, 2023

The six Yankees outfielders the team was committed to were Stanton, Aaron Judge, Jacoby Ellsbury, Aaron Hicks, Clint Frazier and Brett Gardner. Ellsbury was under contract for $21.1 million and hadn’t played since 2017. Hicks made $6.3 million and, at the time, was one of the best center fielders in the American League. Frazier played 15 games in 2018 but was one of the prospects the team heavily believed in. Gardner was coming off his worst season since 2011 and was entering his age-35 season.

Steinbrenner obviously knew the Yankees would eventually have to pay Judge a significant contract. But the presence of Ellsbury, Hicks, Frazier and Gardner should not have prohibited the Yankees from also pursuing Harper. It appears the Yankees chose not to pursue Harper solely for monetary reasons because, from a roster building perspective, it makes little sense how any of the players mentioned above would have more importance to the team’s yearly championship-or-bust mantra than Harper. Harper sandwiched between Judge and Stanton would have been tough for any team’s pitching staff to navigate.

Maybe the wildest part of the decision to not pursue Harper was the team’s decision to not even give him a cursory phone call to show exploratory interest. They had no interaction with Harper during his free agency at all; I guess the front office felt there was no need to waste anyone’s time if it felt there wasn’t even a slight possibility of bringing him to the Bronx.

Even with the Yankees having six outfielders, there was still space for Harper. They could have configured an outfield of Harper in left, Hicks in center and Judge in right with Stanton as the designated hitter.

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The roster configuration excuse the Yankees gave at the time doesn’t hold much weight. The decision to not sign Harper simply comes down to the Yankees choosing to not add another high-priced player one year after taking on Stanton’s $325 million. It was a mistake to not, at the minimum, have any interest. Signing him very likely changes the outlook for the Yankees. — Kirschner

GO DEEPER

Will the Yankees chase two international stars in free agency? Mailbag, Part 1

GO DEEPER

Could Yankees, Padres make this Juan Soto trade? Mailbag, Part 2

Who are the best “addition by subtraction” candidates? What would Gleyber Torres fetch in a deal? How big of an emphasis should the Yankees put on positional versatility, considering the holes they may encounter day to day? — Salvatore C.

The Yankees seem to always value positional versatility. That said, if the Yankees were to trade anyone, it would be about getting the best players possible in return. But the Yankees may be covered in terms of defensive versatility. Even with Isiah Kiner-Falefa likely to sign elsewhere in free agency, the Yankees will likely bank on Oswaldo Cabrera having a bounce-back season and hope they can play him all over the infield and in the outfield corners. DJ LeMahieu also gives the Yankees an infield corners option.

By “addition by subtraction,” I’m going to take that to mean the team’s best/most likely trade chips. If you rule out the core of the prospects group coming up (Anthony Volpe, Jasson Domínguez, Austin Wells), that leaves second-tier youngsters such as infielder Oswald Peraza and Everson Peirera as top possible trade chips. Gleyber Torres would be another potential option. The 26-year-old will be a free agent after the 2024 season. Torres is projected to make $15.3 million next season via arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors. While that’s a lot of money, he’s also coming off a season in which he was the Yankees’ most consistent hitter outside of Aaron Judge, and he’s probably just as much of an extension candidate as he would be a trade candidate. Relievers Tommy Kahnle, Jonathan Loáisiga and Clay Holmes also will be free agents after next season. — Kuty

Is there any chance that Hal Steinbrenner will get tired of baseball and sell the team? — Dada V. 

It does not seem likely. The Yankees are a Steinbrenner family business. He was asked at Sportico’s “Invest in Sports” conference earlier this week about the possibility of ever selling the franchise and he reiterated that there are no plans of doing so, especially with three nephews and a niece involved with the team behind the scenes. This has been Steinbrenner’s stance every time he’s asked this question and he has not budged even the slightest with his answer.

And who could blame him? The Yankees print money and are one of the world’s richest teams. There’s no reason to sell when sports franchises are seemingly one of the few businesses in the world that never seem to lose value year over year. — Kirschner

Any early word on Jasson Domínguez’s recovery? — Jacob F.

It appears to be going well. As of Wednesday, Domínguez was still in an arm brace. The 20-year-old had Tommy John surgery on Sept. 20, and at the time, the Yankees projected an eight-to-10-month recovery period for his return to the field. That would mean around June, July or August of next season. However, keep in mind the Yankees have been notoriously cautious about injury timelines. Whether he returns to the majors or heads to Triple A remains to be seen. I’d be surprised if the Yankees don’t try to address center field in a meaningful way this winter. Plus, Domínguez still has just eight big-league games under his belt. It’s possible The Martian is back in the Bronx in the summer, but don’t freak out if he lands first in Moosic, Pa. — Kuty

Will they sign Luis Severino? — Peter W. 

It would be surprising if Severino returned, even on a one-year deal. It feels like the relationship has run its course and both parties would be better off splitting up now. The Yankees need dependable starters, and Severino is the opposite of that as he’s battled numerous injuries for the past several seasons now. — Kirschner

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What’s the story with Nestor Cortes? Are they just going to play pretend by having him rest his shoulder and “hope” it’s better next season or will it be addressed? — Neil C.

Of course it’s being addressed. The Yankees aren’t going to cross their fingers that a player is going to be healthy. No, Cortes isn’t having surgery. A reminder of his injury-plagued season: His spring training was interrupted by a hamstring injury that also kept him out of the World Baseball Classic. Then he went on the IL with a left rotator cuff strain on June 8. He returned to the majors to make one start, throwing four scoreless innings with eight strikeouts against the Astros at home. But during the outing, Cortes suffered another strain in a different spot in his rotator cuff. That shut him down for the season.

As of late in the regular season, Cortes had graduated to throwing bullpen sessions. His offseason plan was to continue throwing on his own near his home before shutting down and beginning his normal offseason training sometime in November.

Banking on Cortes holding up for a full season could be a fraught proposition for the Yankees. He had a stellar 2022 season, going 12-4 with a 2.44 ERA and making his first All-Star game. But his 158 1/3 innings that season were the most innings he had thrown since 2018, when he threw 115 frames. A healthy Cortes has No. 2 starter upside and would be a huge boost. — Kuty

(Top photo of Harper during his introductory press conference with the Phillies in 2019: Mike Carlson / MLB via Getty Images)