On Monday afternoon, the Major League Baseball Players Association released the list of players who will become free agents under Article XX B of the Basic Agreement.
As written in Major League Baseball’s Basic Agreement, a player becomes eligible for free agency once they meet these specific terms.
“Following the completion of the term of his Uniform Player’s
Contract, any Player with 6 or more years of Major League service
who has not executed a contract for the next succeeding season shall
become a free agent, subject to and in accordance with the provisions
of this Section B.”
In total, 139 players this year have been classified as XX B free-agent players. These players are eligible to negotiate and sign with any club beginning at 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday, November 7, 2015.
Out of the players that are set to become free agents, only three played for the New York Yankees: Chris Capuano, Stephen Drew, and Chris Young.
What this shows is that the 2016 New York Yankees roster is pretty locked in right now. Unless the team looks to explore the trade market to acquire new talent, next year’s roster could end up looking very similar to the roster we saw this past season.
Out of the three free agents, the most likely to return to the team would be outfielder Chris Young. Young was slotted as the team’s fourth outfielder, but saw a lot of playing time due to numerous injuries. In 140 games, Young posted a slash line of .252/.320/.453, slugging 14 home runs in the process.
Young doesn’t hit right-handed pitching well, but he’s very good against left-handed pitching, as he posted a .327 batting average against southpaws this season. The Yankees got some good production out of Young, and if the price is right, the 32-year-old could return for another season in the Bronx.
Due to struggles throughout the 2015 season, it is very unlikely that Capuano or Drew return to the Yankees for the 2016 season.
Capuano was on and off the roster numerous times this season, as the left-hander mightily struggled when he was with the big league club. In 22 appearances (four starts), the 37-year-old posted a 7.97 ERA, allowing 36 earned runs in just 40 innings of work. The left-hander might get another big league opportunity, but it’s very unlikely that it will be in New York.
Although he hit 17 home runs in 2015, the Yankees didn’t get much else from Drew during the 2015 season. In 131 games, the left-handed hitting infielder posted a slash line of .201/.271/.381, and Yankee fans spent most of the season looking for a change at the position. With Rob Refsnyder and Dustin Ackley currently on the roster, Drew will most likely have to look for a new club for the 2016 season.
The entire list of free agents can be seen by clicking here.
