MLB Free Agency: The New York Yankees Are the Big Offseason Winners

The World Series is not won in the offseason, but the Yankees certainly used theirs to get much closer to bringing home a record 28th title to the Bronx. And they did it without sacrificing their long-term future.

That combination makes them the winners of the 2012 Major League Baseball offseason.

The Yankees ended 2011 with a strong team that faced nagging questions about the pitching rotation, the designated hitter position and the bench. The Bronx Bombers were a contender because of their strong lineup, excellent bullpen and ace starter C.C. Sabathia, but the pitching rotation was not good enough to win another World Series title.

The Yankees were quiet for much of the early offseason. They watched the rival Angels haul in Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson and the Texas Rangers ink Japanese phenomenon Yu Darvish. Not wishing to mortgage their future, the Yankees decided to forgo the splashy signings they are usually known for and wait for the right opportunity.

That opportunity came on Jan. 13, when the Yankees traded future star catcher (or designated hitter) Jesus Montero and spot starter Hector Noesi for talented right-hander Michael Pineda and young upside pitching prospect Jose Campos. Then, the very same night, they inked Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year contract for $10 million.  

The moves left them with an excellent rotation of Sabathia, Kuroda, Ivan Nova, Pineda and Phil Hughes or Freddy Garcia. That rotation may not be the very best in baseball—a designation that belongs to the Angels, Phillies or Rays—but it is more than good enough for the Bronx Bombers to be World Series favorites in 2012.

Even better, the moves did not burden the team's balance sheet with significant long-term contracts. The Yankees followed it up with their recent trade of A.J. Burnett to the Pirates, which will save $13 million and rid them of a pitcher who was helpful in 2009, but now represented a significant financial burden and potential locker-room problem. They should soon ink Raul Ibanez and Eric Chavez to deal with those savings, and that will anchor the designated hitter and bench spots and complete their offseason.

Now, the Yankees can contend in 2012, replace Kuroda with top pitching prospect Manny Banuelos (and shave $10 million in payroll in the process) and keep contending while some of their worst contracts come off the books. By the time Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova are eligible for free agency, the contracts of Derek Jeter, Mark Texeira and Sabathia (nearly $100 million) will be off the Yankees payroll.

Now that is how you contend for the long-term!