At This time of year, teams want to remove as many issues from their docket as quickly as possible so they can fixate on one or two areas of need.
In an offseason with limited quality available, especially in free agency, and yet more teams than ever in position to spend significant dollars, it is even a greater priority to narrow the focus of where you want to spend time and resources.
Which beyond the obvious — Mariano Rivera is a great pitcher — is why the Yankees were so pleased the closer told general manager Brian Cashman he wants to pitch in 2013. It means the front office does not have to figure out Rivera’s successor yet. The Yankees simply will pick the same option they have every year since 1997.
Yes, the Yankees and Rivera still have to work out a contract, but that will get done. Rivera was hedging about playing in 2013 because he was feeling the pull of family. So he is not going to relocate too far away from his Armonk home base or mess with his Yankees legacy.
The Yankees might want to cut Rivera’s $15 million 2012 payday some following a mostly lost season because of a torn right ACL. But, ultimately, they will like that Rivera will not need more than a one-year deal (perhaps with some incentives), which does not force the team to invest 2014 dollars at a time when they are trying to get under the $189 million luxury tax threshold for that season.
Now With Rivera pretty much a foregone conclusion, the Yankees can turn to other priorities, such as re-signing Hiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettitte (which will not be difficult if both are willing to do one-year deals), replacing Nick Swisher, finding left side of the infield insurance for Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, checking if there is an actual trade market for A-Rod and seeing if there is enough mutual ground to secure a long-term extension with Robinson Cano.
And here is one other item the Yankees might want to consider: Finding a successor to Rivera. That person might be in-house with David Robertson or maybe even prospect Mark Montgomery, whose strikeout-heavy results have evoked Robertson comparisons by some Yankees officials. The righty, who relies on his slider, has averaged 14.6 strikeouts per nine innings in two minor league seasons since being drafted and has K’d 15 (against two hits) in 8 1/3 Arizona Fall League innings. The Yankees also have David Aardsma (69 saves between 2009-10) locked up for next year.
It is possible Rafael Soriano still could accept the Yankees’ $13.3 million qualifying offer. If so, the team would return a strong endgame of Rivera, Soriano, Robertson and Boone Logan. But if Soriano flees, the Yankees should pursue one-year pacts in the $5 million range plus incentives with a 2014 option for Ryan Madson or, more preferably, Joakim Soria.
Both former closers missed all of last season after needing Tommy John surgery. So both righties must rebuild their repertoires and value. Either could do that while serving as a Rivera setup man, providing the Yankees depth while also auditioning to be his replacement.
Soria’s idol is Rivera, and the Yankees constantly were interested in trading for him during his Royals days. Though he has needed Tommy John surgery twice, Soria still does not turn 29 until May, has a career 2.40 ERA and a save success percentage of 88.9 percent.
The Yankees now know Rivera will be back. But he turns 43 later this month. The Yankees got a glimpse of life without him in 2012. They should use 2013, in part, to better position themselves for the coming day when he really will step away for good.