The 2017 new york yankees were picked by many "experts" to miss the playoffs, finish in the bottom of the American League East, and maybe even have a losing record for the first time since 1992. Instead, however, the Bronx bombers finished 2nd in the division, only two games back of the rival Boston Red Sox, won the wild card game, upset the Cleveland Indians, and took the Houston Astros to a game seven in the ALCS. The meteoric rise of the baby bombers made up of Gary Sanchez, Greg Bird, and Aaron Judge brings a new hope to the Bronx like Yankee fans haven't seen since the corps four.

Even with a heartbreaking game seven loss on Saturday night, Yankee fans have an incredibly bright future to look forward too.

Where do the Yankees go from here?

C.C. Sabathia, Masahiro Tanaka, Matt Holliday, Jaime Garcia and Todd Frazier are the free agent-eligible players on the Yankees' roster this year. Sabathia and Tanaka were the Yankees' best starting pitchers this postseason. Tanaka threw 20 innings, allowing only two runs throughout the entire 2017 postseason. He is eligible to opt out of his contract and test the free agency market this off-season. However, Tanaka had an underwhelming regular season, posting a 13-12 record with questions of an arm injury.

Sabathia, on the other hand, went 10-1 on days where he pitched after a Yankee loss.

The 37-year-old lefty had this to say about his future in New York: "I feel like this is a young team, and we will turn this into something great. This is my home, and I want to see this thing through" (per The Associated Press). Take that comment however you'd like but it sounds to me like Sabathia would like to end his career in pinstripes.

I could see the Yankees re-signing him to a minimum contract for the next two to three years. Manager Joe Girardi had this to say about his most reliable pitcher after the game last night.

Only two offensive players are free agents after this season, Matt Holliday and Todd Frazier.

Both veterans had a huge presence in the clubhouse and helped the younger guys grow, learn, and get better every single day. The front office should be thankful to both of these guys for being leaders but I am unsure if they'll get re-signed. Frazier is probably going to be looking for a hefty sum of money this off-season and I don't think the Yankees want to spend a lot on him -- especially with the number one overall prospect in baseball in Gleyber Torres sitting in the minors waiting for his opportunity. I could see Holliday coming back, though. The old veteran seemed to be revitalized by the youth and the small confines of Yankee Stadium. For the right price, I hope the Yankees try and re-sign him.

2018 free agent market:

The 2018 free agent class is one of the best ever. It consists of Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and possibly Clayton Kershaw. Machado and Harper are two players who have openly suggested that they would like to don the pinstripes at some point in their careers and there would be no better time to do this than the 2019 season. With oodles of youth, talent, and excess funds, I would not be surprised if both ended up in New York on opening day of 2019. Another possible off-season acquisition is foreign star Shohei Otani, who throws 102 and hits 500-foot home runs. The Yankees have the cap space available to sign the Japanese superstar which would considerably buff their starting pitching.

With all of these superstar free agents available in the near future, Yankee fans should not forget the talent they still have within their organization. Clint Frazier, Miguel Andujar, Gleyber Torres, and Chance Adams make up some of the MLB's best prospects. Here is what the potential opening day lineup in 2019 could be:

1) 4 - Gleyber Torres

2) 9 - Aaron Judge

3) 7 - Bryce Harper

4) 2 - Gary Sanchez

5) 6 - Manny Machado

6) 3 - Greg Bird

7) 5 - Didi Gregorious

8) 8 - Clint Frazier

9) DH - Miguel Andujar

Starting Pitcher - Shohei Otani

That is a terrifying lineup from top to bottom, so don't be too upset about the hard loss on Saturday night, Yankee fans, as October baseball in the Bronx should be very fun in the coming years.
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