New York Yankees could solve starting pitching problem with top prospect

New York Yankees, Deivi Garcia
Jul 7, 2019; Cleveland, OH, USA; American League starting pitcher Deivi Garcia delivers in the first inning in the 2019 MLB All Star Futures Game at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees elected to not rush the No. 1 pitching prospect in the minor league’s during the regular season, keeping him in the minors at just 20-years-old.

Deivi Garcia, one of the most highly touted young pitchers, is working his way into the big-leagues, and 2020 could be the year he finally reaches the mound.

General manager Brian Cashman commented on how great Garcia has looked, per NJ.com:

“For his age, to do what he’s doing,” Cashman said. “I was just looking at Baseball America last night and he’s listed as like, Double-A All-Star and I think it opened up with him being the youngest pitcher in the Eastern League. And I was like, he was probably the youngest pitcher in the International League, and if he got here, he would have been the youngest pitcher in the big leagues. It was an incredible run. But obviously he’ll go on the roster this winter and we’ll see what we got in the spring.”

The Yankees will add Garcia to the 40-man roster over the Winter and carry him into Spring Training. They will test his abilities against major league players in that scenario, allowing him to prove his value.

Garcia may be a part of the Yankees’ starting pitching rotation next season, even if they bring in a premium-level arm like Gerrit Cole over the offseason. Replacing CC Sabathia will be a priority, and whether it’s with home-grown talent like Deivi or an outside one, finding reinforcements is a priority.

What could the New York Yankees starting rotation look like next season?

With the Bombers look to add a real ace and several players returning from injury, they could have a solid starting rotation come next season. This is entirely theoretical, though:

1.) Gerrit Cole

2.) Luis Severino

3.) James Paxton

4.) Masahiro Tanaka

5.) Deivi Garcia

6.) J.A. Happ (?)

Bringing in one high-priced arm would be enough to solidify this rotation for the entire season barring injury. Severino returning to form and giving the Yankees a full-season of work would be a huge benefit. While the Yankees did manage to crawl to 103 wins during the regular season, they missed the presence of Severino and his consistency.