General manager Brian Cashman may hold the reigns to the sled that’s the New York Yankees, but owner Hal Steinbrenner is back at headquarters relaying approval for every maneuver Cashman looks to make.
Whether it be letting Didi Gregorius walk in free agency or the signing of a big-name starting pitcher, both are heavily involved in the process, which should scare fans.
Steinbrenner stated earlier in the offseason:
“For the most part, I think our starting pitching was good this year,’’ Steinbrenner said. “Even missing [Luis] Severino and [Jordan] Montgomery [for most or all of the season due to injuries].â€
“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.’’
This screams, “road-work ahead!” If you’ve ever been driving on the highway and been forced to slow down because Hal Steinbrenner is laying down new concrete and not signing starting pitchers to bolster the rotation, raise your hand. However, it’s fair to consider his previous signings of Masahiro Tanaka and trading for James Paxton, who emerged as an ace during the latter portion of the 2019 season.
Hal isn’t wrong. The team will gain back several strong arms in Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery, two pitchers who, at the top of their game, can be extremely effective. Severino is capable of being a No. 1 option, and Paxton has established himself as a No. 2. Monty has two sub-4.00 ERAs under his belt in three years, and they have youngsters like Deivi Garcia/Michael King preparing to make the jump.
The Yankees need to do what’s best for the team:
Despite the re-tooling of the starting rotation with current Yankees players, adding a dominant arm like Gerrit Cole would immediately make the unit one of the best in the league. It would also give manager Aaron Boone the ability to develop his youngsters in a bullpen role, allowing them to refine their skills and work inning-by-inning slowly.
The price-tag for Cole would be the intimidating factor, as he’s set to earn over $200 million in a multi-year deal that stretches $30+ million per season. That’s a staggering price, and the Bombers have had lousy luck with big-contracts the past few seasons. Jacoby Ellsbury’s $26 million in remaining salary attests to that statement, in addition to the two years he missed (2018-19). Factor in Giancarlo Stanton as well, who missed all of 2019 with multiple injuries.
Cole, however, has had a clean bill of health for the majority of his career, so the Yankees can be confident he won’t miss extended time. Strasburg, on the other hand, cannot be trusted to finish a full season without picking up minor ailments. If health is a concern for Steinbrenner, he will have to spend a bit more for Cole, but his team would benefit exponentially from his services. Realistically, the Yankees would be in great shape to compete for a World Series title in 2020.