Yankees 2024 Winter Meetings Rumors: Day Three

After a quiet first day, the Yankees came to life on the second day of the Winter Meetings. There was excitement all day about them betting on Max Fried, and they came away with their man, signing the left-hander to an eight-year, $218 million contract. It’s a pretty penny, but as Jeremy wrote yesterday, Fried has a top-notch track record and fits perfectly as the No. 2 starter behind Gerrit Cole.

The move also represents a lot of work for the Yankees. Not only do they still have several holes in their lineup, but they now have seven starters for a five-man rotation. Anyone not named Fried, Cole and Carlos Rodón could plausibly be moved, and perhaps Brian Cashman will get creative and find a way to use this glut of starters to fill the team’s holes at first base or in the outfield.

Whatever happens today, we’ll keep you updated on all the interesting rumors from start to finish. We may see some activity on the last full day of the winter meetings.

Note: All times listed are in Eastern Standard Time.

Rumors of the day (December 11th)

12:00 p.m.: In the early hours of the morning, the Rangers and Marlins executed a trade that saw corner infielder Jake Burger travel to Texas in exchange for infield prospects Echedry Vargas and Max Acosta and pitcher Brayan Mendoza.

It was a busy time for the Rangers, as the club pursued Max Fried before he signed with the Yankees and also re-signed Nathan Eovaldi to a three-year, $75 million contract. Burger had an inconsistent season for Miami, hitting 29 home runs and an OPS+ of 103, but had poorly rated defense at first and third base. He turns 29 in April and will be under the team’s control until 2028.