Evidently, the New York Yankees succumbed to injuries once again before the 2020 regular season even started. With a few weeks left of Grapefruit League play, the starting rotation for the Yankees has been stripped of top talent. With Luis Severino set to miss the entire 2020 campaign and James Paxton recovering from lower back surgery, the unit could use an injection of quality.
The New York Post is reporting that the Yankees have reached out to New York Mets management to gauge their interest in potentially sending Steven Matz across town to the Bronx. The sudden shortage of pitching for the Yankees opens up a dialogue for the Mets to potentially gain value from Matz. Reportedly, they are willing to listen, but the amount the Yankees would have to give up in a potential deal might be significant.
What would the New York Yankees be getting in Steven Matz?
Last season, Matz posted an 11–10 record, with a 4.21 ERA over 32 games pitched. However, he posted a career-high in strikeouts (153), but also a high in home runs allowed (27). This can be directly correlated to his innings pitched, though, as his 160.1 innings of work was also a career-high. Overall, Matz endured one of the more strenuous seasons he’s ever experienced in the MLB in his five-year career.
The Yankees desperately need help at the end of the starting rotation; otherwise, they can simply utilize a bevy of different options to supplement the loss of Paxton and Domingo German, who are expected to return in May and August respectively. Pitchers like Michael King, Jonathan holder, and Jonathan Loaisiga could operate in a three-man rotation in the meantime. While I don’t expect the Yankees and Mets to come to a conclusion, talks are being held, and we shouldn’t rule out the possibility of a potential deal going down.