New York Yankees won’t make a trade to supplement loss of Luis Severino

The New York Yankees will proceed into the 2020 season without their No. 2 starter in Luis Severino. The talented pitcher will undergo Tommy John surgery and spend the year recovering, which puts the Yanks in a tumultuous position. Luckily, they’ve been through this before, and they just invested $324 million into Gerrit Cole as their bonafide ace.

Reports bubbled that the Bombers could be interested in trading for a starting pitcher, but they will stay put with the alternatives they already have on the team. With Jordon Montgomery making a return after recovering from Tommy John, and youngsters Michael King and Jonathan Loaisiga able to act as starting options, the Yankees will hope they can handle the 5th spot in the rotation.

“You rely on your depth,” Cashman said in aftermath of the Severino announcement (Twitter link via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). “I wouldn’t expect any domino effect or cause and effect in terms of us being able to go to marketplace. The winter marketplace this time of year, it doesn’t exist.”

Cashman’s statement essentially means that teams aren’t looking to trade away significant pieces this late into the offseason. With pre-season well underway and player evaluations taking place, managers are looking to build around their talent rather than trade it away.

Unfortunately, for the Yankees, that means relying on mostly unproven talent to supplement the loss of Severino and James Paxton for several months.

A look at the starting rotation for the New York Yankees:

1. Gerrit Cole
2. Masahiro Tanaka
3. J.A. Happ
4. Jordan Montgomery
5. Jonathan Loaisiga/Michael King/Jonathan Holder

One Paxton returns, Monty will slot into the 5th spot, and the Yankees can return to their normal ways. Last season, they survived with injuries and still won 103-games, proving their offensive production can be of ample help when pitching is lacking. A strong bullpen will also contribute toward a successful season.

I anticipate the Yankees looking to the trade deadline to add a starting pitcher, especially if they’re playoff-bound.