New York doesn't plan on doling out any monstrous contracts this offseason.
The New York Yankees are likely to keep things a bit quieter this offseason. According to Mark Feinsand and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News, the Yankees "have no plans" to pursue the likes of top-tier free agents Pablo Sandoval, Jon Lester, Max Scherzer, or James Shields. Instead, the club plans on focusing on bringing back 2014 trade acquisitions Chase Headley and Brandon McCarthy, who both played quite well after arriving in New York.
The Yankees spent over $450 million last winter on Brian McCann, Masahiro Tanaka, Carlos Beltran, and Jacoby Ellsbury, and wound up finishing with just a 84-78 record, not coming particularly close to making the postseason. At this point, the club doesn't plan on adding any nine-figure contracts that may worsen an already precarious financial situation.
The 31-year-old McCarthy was quite good after coming over from Arizona in early July. In 14 starts, he threw just over 90 innings, posting a 2.89 ERA, 3.22 FIP, 8.2 K/9, 1.3 BB/9, and 1.6 WAR. After Tanaka, Michael Pineda, and CC Sabathia, the Yankees don't have much in the way of rotation options for next season, so it makes plenty of sense to bring back McCarthy.
The 30-year-old Headley was similarly good after making his way to the Bronx from San Diego. In 224 plate appearances with the Bombers, he hit .262/.371/.398 with a 119 OPS+, which was a significant improvement on the .229/.296/.355 (90 OPS+) slash line he posted with the Padres over the first half of the season. While Headley is unlikely to return to his MVP-caliber 2012 form, some slightly above-average offense coupled with excellent defense should make him a very strong option at the hot corner.
Of course, the Yankees will be getting longtime third baseman Alex Rodriguez back from suspension next season, which could block the way for Headley's return. However, the Yankees' interest in Headley likely suggests that the club is intending on mostly playing Rodriguez at designated hitter in 2015.
The Yankees have also offered closer David Robertson a $15.3 million qualifying offer (which he is expected to decline), and seem to be prepared to lose the former All-Star, though it's still very possible they retain him. Per Feinsand and Madden, Robertson is likely in line for a three or four-year deal, as more than a half dozen teams are interested in him. Furthermore, the Yankees did not offer right-hander Hiroki Kuroda a qualifying offer, as, at 39-years-old, he may be "leaning toward retirement."