The New York Yankees are down three starting pitchers with the departures of James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, and JA Happ. There were reports that indicated Tanaka could find his way back to the Yankees, but it seems as if the two will part ways, and general manager Brian Cashman will reallocate the $23 million they’re saving from Tanaka’s contract.
Ultimately, it seems as if Cashman is taking a cost-efficient approach to this off-season, especially with the desire to keep DJ LeMahieu on a long-term deal. The Yankees want to be careful about how many long accords they have on the roster since they are on the hook for Giancarlo Stanton and Gerrit Cole.
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The New York Yankees are headed toward more starting pitching problems:
However, that could indicate serious problems in 2021, as the Yankees will likely commit to younger options which don’t have much experience in the MLB. Last season, they were forced to bring up Deivi Garcia, who finished the season with a 4.98 ERA, 1.194 WHIP, and 8.7 strikeouts per nine. He had several dependable contests. Overall, he was a bit shaky, which was to be expected, considering he only spent one year in the minor leagues before making his way up to the majors.
Management has already committed to Domingo German, and they consider him a potential number two behind Cole, a decision that might come back to bite them in the butt. German was fantastic two years ago with the Yankees but was suspended on a domestic violence case, which extended from the latter portion of the 2019 season to the entire 2020 campaign.
German has been working in the winter league down in the Dominican Republic, and his numbers haven’t looked too good. In his first outing, German pitched four no-hit innings, but his second appearance was not as bright.
“I’ve been getting good reports,†Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Tuesday. “Domingo had a rough outing (Monday) night, but I think in his case it’s about getting out there. I’m not even so concerned with results, almost with any of them.â€
In total, German has pitched 16.1 innings and allowed 13 runs, good enough for a 7.16 ERA. He’s also allowed 17 hits and nine walks, showing that he might not be ready for professional baseball just yet. He is still working his way back, and getting on the mound is simply his goal during the winter. I wouldn’t hold too much weight in these winter league performances, but the fact that the Yankees are looking at him as a potential number two is a bit worrisome.
It’s also fair to mention with the departure of three veterans, Cashman will need to find talent in the free-agent market. Relying on Jordan Montgomery, Luis Severino, who hasn’t pitched in two years, and a bevy of youngsters is simply a bad idea.
If they plan on slotting German and Severino into the 2-3 spots in the rotation, they’re simply setting themselves up for disappointment. Neither has pitched in over a year and Severino is coming off a second-consecutive season-ending surgery.
Do you think the Yankees will look to free agency or a potential trade to find a quality starter?