Courtesy of Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman the New York Yankees have got their big prize before Christmas, the best pitcher in baseball Gerrit Cole. So, the one thing they lacked last season, a true ace, has been fulfilled. The Yankees now have a starting rotation that should match up with any team. After last year’s unprecedented injuries, manager Aaron Boone learned the importance of having players to fill in when those injuries occur. Last years’ patchwork team, most of the year performed very well, so well, that many fans didn’t want the regular players to return. The only problem they faced last year, is that in replacing players, they were not sure how they would perform. As it turned out they were surprised in most instances. Mike Tauchman was more than adequate in the outfield and Gio Urshela became a Yankee star player at the hot corner.
From what Aaron Boone learned last year with a constantly changing lineup, it will help him this year when the inevitable injuries do happen. With the immense injury problem they had last year, odds are that if they do have injuries, they will likely not be as widespread as they were last year. As the Yankees start the season they might very well have one of the best benches in baseball. Assuming all the regular players will start the season, Boone is left with Mike Tauchman, Mike Ford, and Miguel Andujar (if not traded) sitting on the bench, which is a tremendous luxury for Boone. It’s not a guess if any of those players can fill in and perform. And that’s not considering above-average hitting Clint Frazier, sitting in wait in Scranton. This is just a guess, but it appears that Cashman is not looking to trade any of their Yankee assets away. Of course, the situation is still fluid.
There are also reports out there, that suggests that the Yankees may be interested in adding left hand hitting to the lineup. The New York Yankees have discussed adding infielder and free agent Joe Panik to the lineup. Joe is a left hand hitting infielder that has been an All-star and Gold Glover at second base. The 29-year-old played for the San Francisco Giants and the New York Mets last year. He would fit in well with the Yankees. At the end of the season, he batted .277 for the Mets in 39 games. The infielder is a New York native, having attended John Jay High School in Hopewell Junction, N.Y., and St. John’s University before the Giants selected him in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft. If Panik were to join the Yankees, he’d be just their fifth true left-handed batter on the roster.
With the big-money acquisition of Cole, and with the Yankees solid four-man pitching rotation of Gerrit Cole, James Paxton, Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka, and available pitching options for the fifth spot of J.A. Happ (if he is not traded), Jordan Montgomery, Jonathan Loaisiga and at some- point Domingo German who was 18-4 last year, they should be okay if there is an injury to the staff. That and the New York Yankees’ deep proven bench, they look to be prepared to have another great season and a very good chance of getting another World Championship, or as Gerrit Cole put it, “3 or more”.  Even though it looks as though the Yankee is pretty well set, don’t be surprised if Brian Cashman is not done yet, in improving an already great team. The only two areas that might need to be addressed was shortened to just one today as they signed Erik Katz as a third catcher, leaving just shortstop where they may wish to upgrade.