The New York Yankees are in a very peculiar situation. Their starting pitching rotation is battered, beat, and in a state of peril. With J.A. Happ Being placed on the 10 – day unable to perform list due to paternity leave, the rotation is in even more trouble.
The Yankees failed to add any quality starters at the trade deadline in part because of the impending return of several options including Luis Severino.
Banking on the return of Severino, Dellin Betances, and Jonathan Loaisiga, is a risky move, simply because there is no established timetable on their return and if they will be able to perform at a high-level.
However, the Yankees might rely on youth prospect Deivi Garcia to supplement the deficiencies on the team right now. The 20-year-old strikeout-machine could help as a relief option, but it isn’t out of the equation that he can contribute as a starter. I do not believe he will be starting option, but the Yankees might not have a choice if starters keep going down.
Brian Cashman stated regarding Garcia:
“We’ve got to finish his development off. If he does help this year, it’ll be out of the bullpen.â€
A source has stated that the Yankees could pull up Garcia within the next two weeks given the lack of quality options available.
Deivi is currently playing with AAA Scranton/ Wilkes-Barre, where he is 1-2 on the year with a 6.63 ERA in four starts.
Gaining familiarity with the different grip on the currently used baseball has been a struggle this year for Garcia. The movement on his pitches has decreased, making it easier for hitters to produce. The different baseball being used this year has caused issues across the major leagues, as pitchers are stating that the grip is too difficult to utilize because the laces are too low.
The Yankees might have struck gold with their youth pitcher, as several teams were trying to pry him away before the trade deadline. The 5-foot-9, 163-pound starter, “checks all the boxes,†Cashman said.
Ensuring that he develops properly and isn’t rushed into the big leagues is essential for the Yankees, as they could stunt his growth if brought up too early.