The New York Yankees could do something they haven't done since 1992. Finish under .500. The 1992 Yankees went 76-86 and the team hasn't been under .500 since. In fact, they've missed the postseason just six times in that 31-year period. Remarkable consistency from the winningest franchise in the history of professional sports.
This season has been a mess for the Yankees who entered the campaign with hopes of winning the World Series, but instead are 70-72 and in last place in the AL East. Barring a miracle the Yankees will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and questions will be asked about the future of this team.
As much as Yankees fans don't want them back, it does feel like Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone will return barring a change of heart from Hal Steinbrenner, at least according to what's been reported. This means the changes the organization makes will come from the players on the field. These five players will not return to the Yankees in 2024.
1) Luis Severino will not be on the Yankees roster next season
Normally, players hope that the best season of their career comes in their contract year. That allows them to make the most money when approaching the free agency market. Carlos Rodon did that and was rewarded with a mega-deal from the New York Yankees this past offseason. Luis Severino has done anything but impress in his contract year.
The Yankees right-hander has had a disastrous season. A lat strain suffered in Spring Training caused Severino to miss the first month and a half of the season. When he returned off the IL in late May he had two good starts, allowing one run in each in 11.1 innings of work. Unfortunately, those two starts were all Yankees fans could really enjoy from Severino this season.
In 19 appearances (18 starts) Severino had a 6.65 ERA in 89.1 innings of work. His strikeouts were down, walks were up, and his home run rate shot up to a whopping 5.5% and 2.3 HR/9. There was nothing positive that came from Severino's 2023 season.
The right-hander hasn't proven he can stay healthy as he hasn't made 20 starts in a season since 2018, and New York just watched him pitch like a shell of the former all-star version of himself. Severino could wind up being a bargain for a team that buys low on him this offseason, but the Yankees won't be taking that risk.
2) Frankie Montas will not be on the Yankees roster next season
When fans argue that the Yankees should fire Brian Cashman, the Frankie Montas trade is one of the reasons why. Montas was the Yankees' big acquisition in 2022 when they really needed a bat, and he struggled, posting a 6.39 ERA in eight starts for New York.
Montas only made one postseason appearance for the Yankees and it came out of the bullpen. He allowed one run in one inning of work in ALCS Game 1 in Houston. That was the only really big appearance he ever made for the Yankees.
Montas figured to be the fifth starter in what was supposed to be a loaded Yankees rotation this season, but he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in February and has been out for the entire season. With less than one month remaining in the regular season, it's safe to say Montas won't be returning.
Like Severino, the 30-year-old Montas will be entering free agency on a sour note. He was ineffective in the short time he was healthy with New York while spending most of his tenure on the IL. Montas is another guy who represents solid buy-low value, but the Yankees will look elsewhere.
3) Kyle Higashioka will not be on the Yankees roster next season
The Yankees were dealt a big blow in August with Jose Trevino hitting the IL for the remainder of the season due to a wrist injury. Trevino hadn't hit much, but his Gold Glove-caliber defense has been missed by the Yankees since he's been out.
With Trevino out, Kyle Higashioka had become the primary catcher. Unfortunately, Higashioka has had a rough offensive year as well, slashing .222/.265/.398 with ten home runs and 33 RBI in 221 at-bats this season. Higashioka got to play a lot in August but he's appeared in just one game in September so far. The reason for that is New York promoted one of their top prospects, Austin Wells, from AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Wells has played a majority of the time behind the plate in September while Higashioka and their third catcher Ben Rortvedt have one start each. Wells has gotten off to a slow start, but he'll presumably play a big role behind the plate in 2024. Trevino is expected to be ready for the start of Spring Training giving the Yankees a clear tandem right there with Higashioka as the likely odd-man out.
The 33-year-old is out of options, so the Yankees would either have to non-tender him or find a trade this offseason if they don't plan on carrying him on their Opening Day roster. It feels very likely that his run in New York has come to an end after parts of seven seasons.
4) Isiah Kiner-Falefa will not be on the Yankees roster next season
The trade the Yankees made to acquire Frankie Montas was bad, but the trade they made when they acquired Isiah Kiner-Falefa was worse. Granted, the worst part of the deal was the inclusion of Josh Donaldson and his large contract, but IKF was brought in to be their stopgap at shortstop and he had an underwhelming 2022.
Kiner-Falefa was expected to play in a utility role this season but due to the bevy of injuries the Yankees have dealt with, the 28-year-old has appeared in 103 games (80 starts). The results have been subpar.
Kiner-Falefa is slashing .247/.312/.353 with six home runs and 35 RBI in 328 plate appearances. He has an OPS+ of 82, making him considerably below-average as a hitter.
The Yankees had IKF learn how to play the outfield this season, and it hasn't gone very well as he has a -4 DRS in 532.1 innings in the three outfield spots. He's a fine defensive infielder, but the Yankees have several infielders capable of rotating all over the place with Oswald Peraza, Oswaldo Cabrera, and DJ LeMahieu. The Yankees could use a fourth outfielder, mainly one that can play center field, but IKF isn't really that.
The journeyman is set to hit free agency this offseason, and will likely find a role elsewhere that better suits him while the Yankees find a better bench piece to suit their needs.
5) Ryan Weber will not be on the Yankees roster next season
While the Yankees look to compete once again in 2024, something they'll need is roster space, both for the active roster and the 40-man roster. Holding onto Ryan Weber doesn't give them the flexibility in either area.
The 33-year-old has spent parts of the last two seasons with the Yankees and has actually pitched well, posting a 2.16 ERA in 13 appearances. He had a 3.14 ERA in eight appearances this season before landing on the IL with a forearm injury. He's been out since early June and will presumably miss the rest of the season.
Weber is under team control through the 2026 season, but chances are he won't be in the Yankees Opening Day roster plans in 2024. He has a 4.88 career ERA in 76 MLB appearances, and is out of options. By keeping him, the Yankees would lose a whole lot of flexibility as they attempt to make serious improvements this offseason.
Maybe Brian Cashman finds a way to bring Weber back on a minor league deal, but he does feel like a rather obvious non-tender candidate when the offseason begins very soon.
