For the Yankee Death Star, nothing can twinkle until Didi decides

It's quiet out there. Too quiet. Studying the hot stove news desert, you get a sense that the Yankees sit at a crossroads, unsure of whether to turn right, left or go straight - waiting to see what happens with Didi Gregorius. 

Of course, everything could change in an instant, if some slap-happy owner blows away Zach Wheeler with a lawyer-guns-and-money offer. Quid pro quo! I believe Wheeler is the Death Star's secret target because, 1) he's the third best starter on the market, 2) he's battle-tested in NYC, and 3) he'd be a poke in the eye to those pesky Mets, who are poised to rule Gotham next summer. (To the left, look at their rising number of back pages over the last three years.)

As I've shouted repeatedly - not that it matters - I doubt Cooperstown Cashman will go all in on Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg; he can't afford another long-term contract debacle. But Wheeler is not them. He would require less, right? So if he suddenly looks ready to sign, it would flush the Yankees out from their burrow. We'd see immediately whether - and how - Food Stamps Hal Steinbrenner intends to spend his hard-inherited money. 

One last question: Is Wheeler worth surrendering a second and fifth round draft pick, plus $1 million in international spending? Cole and Strasburg are. Wheeler... probably. But it's another factor to consider. The Yankees just spent more on one 16-year-old Latino outfielder than any other team in history. Jasson Dominquez - this year's biggest ever! Did they drain their pockets for when next year's comes around?

Which brings us back to the Didi crossroads. If and when Gregorius signs with another team...

a. The Gleyber Torres era begins at SS. (Or does it?) Can he keep the Jeter-Didi tradition alive? Could the Yankees be overextending their best player? He's done fine at 2B. Is it smart to move him?

b. DJ LeMahieu becomes full-time 2B, where he's won a Gold Glove. No problem here. In fact, it makes sense. Why have a Gold Glove playing out of position?

c. Two Ohio State linebackers - Luke Voit and Mike Ford - platoon at 1B. Can Luke stop pulling balls? Is Ford for real? Can either play defense? (Fifteen scoops could save Gleyber 15 percent or more errors on car insurance.)

d. Gio Urshela and Miguel Andujar vie for 3B. If Andujar wins - by showing defense - Urshela becomes the everyday utility guy, last year's LeMahieu. If Gio wins, Andujar moves to the OF or 1B. Or maybe one gets traded for a pitcher.

e. The team that signs Didi will look to move its current SS. The Yanks could trade for a glove SS as backup or late inning replacement. Right now, it's Thairo Estrada and Tyler Wade, and neither will evoke memories of Ozzie Smith. (There's also Kyle Holder, 25, said to possess the best glove in Double A last year. If we don't lose him in the Rule 5 draft, who knows?)

f. Hal will have an extra $10-$15 million in his fanny pack. That's $20-$25 million, if you count CC's retirement fund. That's Cashman's war chest. To me, that looks like Zach Wheeler, a bullpen lug nut, a fielder-first SS and a LH catcher. But first, let's see what Didi do.