Having no budget pressure and being able to freely structure the roster according to one's own ideas and the coach's is naturally a good thing, but it also represents pressure:

If they cannot achieve the feat of winning three consecutive championships after investing over a hundred million US Dollars, then someone within the team will inevitably have to take the blame for this result — therefore, for those in the meeting room, achieving reasonable upgrades to the existing championship roster to minimize the risk of losing the championship is something they must consider.

How to elevate a fleeting "championship team" to the height of a "dynasty team" has long been answered by many teams over the years, and it boils down to four words: raise the floor.

After internal development, trades, and signings over the past two years, the Yankees' current roster, even without strengthening, is destined to be a hot contender for the World Series championship:

Starting pitcher position, Lin Guanglai has won the Cy Young for two consecutive years, he is currently the best pitcher in the world, without question;

Gerrit Cole, acquired from the Pirates, showed tremendous improvement last season and has even become a candidate-level near-ace for the Cy Young, and his rank in the rotation order has already risen to the second starting position;

Though Luis Severino often performs inconsistently in the playoffs, his average 97-mph fastball alone is enough to stabilize his floor, making it no problem for him to serve as a regular season-level starter;

Besides the three new generation pitchers, there's Tanaka Masahiro as the key player, Sabathia whose contract expires this year is expected to renew with the Yankees for another year to guide the newcomers, and there are potential rookies like Domingo German in the farm system…

It can be said that with the Yankees' incredibly deep reserve of starting pitchers today, only the Dodgers can barely compare, the remaining teams don't even have the qualification to compare.

As for the bullpen, there's no need to say much, although one of the main relievers David Robertson will leave to pursue a big contract after his contract expires this winter, the relief group including Chapman, Betances, and Canley remains stable, and this bullpen is still world-class standard.

Looking at the lineup: Although Aaron Judge missed nearly the entire latter half of last season due to injury, he still contributed 27 home runs, 67 RBIs, and an OPS of .919 — keep in mind this is data he achieved in about half a season.

Meanwhile, Lin Guanglai, who played full-time, hit a career-high of 40 home runs, with a batting average close to .300, with all data ranking among the top of the Yankees' team, if not for the pitching taking up a significant portion of his energy, he should have had the chance to surpass J.D. Martinez to win the Silver Slugger Award for the designated hitter position.

Gary Sanchez, originally the catcher, saw significant improvement in his power data after moving to first base. Though his performance remains unstable, even at low points, this strong young hitter still poses a threat in terms of long hits.

For positions like catcher and shortstop, which weigh defensive coefficients much greater than offensive indices, the Yankees' Realmuto and Didi Gregorius can also contribute firepower far exceeding the average level for the same positions, making pitchers from many teams dare not underestimate the latter part of the Yankees' lineup.

After all this analysis, it's clear to any discerning person that the Yankees have an extremely strong lineup, making additional strength for the pitching staff and firepower points unnecessary; their focus for strengthening should instead target other areas.

The first and most crucial issue is the Yankees need to remedy the defensive gaps existing within the team: Compared to their league-leading firepower, the Yankees fielders' defensive stats rank only in the middle to lower tiers of the league, their low loss of runs is actually tied to the suppression ability of their pitchers.

The two greatest defensive liabilities impacting this are Sanchez at first base and Andujar at third base: Though one contributed 30 home runs and the other 27, various fielding data for both are unbearable to look at, even Lin Guanglai, as strong as he is, was sometimes let down by their defense.

First base has relatively less defensive weight, and with Sanchez being indeed powerful in offense, sacrificing some defense for him alone is acceptable, but strengthening at third base is urgently needed!

In this offseason, with plenty of cash in hand, the Yankees finally set their targets on two individuals for strengthening:

One is Nolan Arenado, the star third baseman of the Colorado Rockies, who managed an average of 40 home runs per year over the past four seasons, with defensive skills unmatched in today's league, having completely turned the Golden Glove at third base into his ATM;

The other is Manny Machado, who just announced he would not renew with the Los Angeles Dodgers, known as the "bad boy," who is also a recipient of both the Golden Glove and Platinum Glove at third base, averaging beyond 35 home runs each of the past three years.

In comparison, whether as the general manager Cashman or head coach Martinli, they both prefer to sign Manny Machado — the latter being younger, with strong athletic ability and defensive coverage range;

More importantly, compared to Arenado who enjoyed the hitter-friendly Coors Field's benefits, Machado can consistently produce stable data at both Oriole Park and Dodger Stadium, which are both balanced offensive and defensive ballparks, that's alone more attractive — last year's playoffs, Machado's 3 home runs, 12 RBIs were crucial to the Dodgers making it to the World Series for two consecutive years.