The Yankees made it apparent that all free agent players are being considered this offseason, even after owner Hal Steinbrenner stated that the starting pitching rotation looked good in 2019 and that he would feel comfortable if the regular season started today.
Here’s the exact quote:
“If the 2020 season was to start tomorrow, I would feel considerably more confident than I did a year ago at this time,’’ Steinbrenner said. “We will have both Severino and Montgomery back. We now know that [Domingo] German can pitch effectively at this level. And we know [James] Paxton can be the guy that we were hoping for when we made that trade. We have [Masahiro] Tanaka, [J.A.] Happ, [Jonathan] Loaisiga, and perhaps [Deivi] Garcia at some point. A very good rotation.’’
A few weeks later, he advocated for the pursuance of all free agents, ensuring his staff would be discussing all potential deals and the value of the player. Starters Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg, two of the best pitchers in baseball, dominate the headlines and rumors in regards to a pairing with the Bombers.
Steinbrenner stated in an interview with YES Network that “all options are open,” a bit different than his previous approach earlier on this offseason. However, interest is enough to get excited about, the reality of the Yankees signing Cole or Strasburg, not so much.
Steinbrenner has been willing to open up his checkbook for the outfield. Still, the starting rotation hasn’t seen many resources allocated towards it, so expecting the Yankees to drop over $25 million per season on a long-term deal for a top arm might be far-fetched. Alternatively, they could settle for a second-tier option like Zack Wheeler.
Wheeler, who featured on the New York Mets in 2019, has recorded an 8.9 fWAR over the last two seasons, which ranks as the ninth-best in all of baseball over that period. His career ERA of 3.77 isn’t in the ‘dominant’ range, but it’s better than any Yankee pitched last season.
The free-agent arm utilized his fastball frequently, consistently hitting in the upper-90s, which is precisely the type of pitcher the Yankees prefer. His secondary pitch is his sinker, which he throws nearly equally to his fastball. The sinker doesn’t have the same production as his fastball, but it hasn’t been detrimental to his performances.
There will be plenty of competition for Wheeler, as reports have indicated the Twins, White Sox, and Reds have all begun bidding on his services, with the Sox currently leading the pack with the highest offer, Ken Rosenthal stated with The Athletic.
Wheeler set career-highs in 2019 with 195.1 innings pitched and 195 strikeouts. He will cost far less than both Cole and Strasburg, but the Yankees would still have to pay a pretty penny for his services. Since Luis Severino will be returning in full-capacity, the Bombers anticipate him slotting into the ace position. Having numerous No. 2 options behind him would give them solid depth, especially in the case of injuries.