MLB.com Writer: Yankees smart to stay away from big free agents

Though some might think otherwise, the Yankees were smart to abstain from signing any big free agents this offseason.

At least that's the opinion of MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince, who argued in a piece Monday the price tags of on-the-market guys like Max Scherzer and James Shields are beyond New York's limits. The Yankees, despite having missed the playoffs last year for the second consecutive season, haven't inked a player to a deal worth more than $52 million this winter, a somewhat strang occurance considering their usual willingness to spend largely. 

From Castrovince: 

"I don't blame any team for abstaining from the Scherzer situation if his price tag is still in the $200 million range. That's too much money for very little certainty, especially given Scherzer's mechanics. And if the rumored offer of $110 million for a 33-year-old James Shields is true (multiple executives I've spoken to have expressed some skepticism), the Yanks are wise to stay away there, too. I actually think Shields, even with all the future concerns associated with his past workload, would be a good get for the Yanks because he's succeeded in the AL East and his '15 impact could be considerable. But that's only if his price tag falls somewhere in the realm of, say, Ubaldo Jimenez (four years, $50 million) and C.J. Wilson (five years, $77.5 million), and at the moment this appears doubtful."

The Yankees definitely have reason to be cautious when it comes to longterm contracts, seeing as the results of the ones they gave to CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira aren't too likable.

Sabathia, whose eight-year/$182-million deal lasts through 2016, is currently experiencing knee issues, while Teixeira, who is set to make $22.5 million over each of the next two seasons, has hurt his wrist numerous times. As for the aging Carlos Beltran, he will also be on the roster for a minimum of two more years, something the Yankees can't be that excited about after he batted just .233 in 109 games for them last season.

Indeed, the Yankees have seemingly made a few bad commitments recently, and their attitude over the last couple of months shouldn't be much of a surprise to anyone.