Brian Cashman has a problem: Whatever he does will not sit well with Yankee fans

It's Superspreader Monday, perfect time to fantasize what we'd get for Luke Voit in a big deal. A Koufax and a Drysdale? An Ozzie Smith and a Johnny Bench? A pair of Gooses? (Some would say "geese," but you know what I mean.) Hate to be a downer here, but my sense is:  

 

Whatever we get, it won't be enough. 

ESPN's Buster Olney lays it out. You won't like what you see.

The number of corner-slugger types available in free agency is enormous, from Marcell Ozuna to Nelson Cruz, which is likely to mitigate the trade value of someone like Voit. The most compelling reason for the Yankees to trade Voit would be if the front office truly believes that the slugger’s performance last season is highly unlikely to be repeated.

On that note, I think Voit is for real: 40 HR and 100 RBI in an honest season. Good grief, he appeared on 27 out of the 30 recent MVP ballots. He's only 29, hits for power and average (.277), and washes his hands. 

Trouble is, he's a Penn State LB playing 1B, and he bats righty in a lineup that tilts far too starboard. If the Yanks move Gleyber Torres back to 2B - a defining question for 2021 - then a re-signed DJ LeMahieu will play 1B. 

That leaves the Yankees with Voit, naked in the back seat of the Chevy.  They'll never get fair value in a trade - Olney's right about corner sluggers - but if they keep Luke, that means jettisoning Miguel Andujar and/or Clint Frazier. Of course, the top domino is Giancarlo Stanton's eternity stone contract, but even there, what can they do? Stanton raked in our recent post-season. If the guy could stay healthy, he could still have a huge season. They can't scrap Stanton, and nobody will give a can of beans for his paperwork.

The more you look at the Yankees, the more complex - maybe hopeless? - the conundrum appears to be. Somehow, Brain Cashman must find pitchers. That probably starts with re-signing Masahiro Tanaka, but what if demands a five-year deal? 

Last year, Cashman waltzed in and signed the best free agent in the market. He was everybody's hero. (Well, not on this blog, maybe, but you know what I mean.) This year, whatever he does, trade-wise, I don't think Yank fans are going to like it.