Who Will Be The New York Yankees Opening Day Starter?

New York Yankees, Luis Severino
Oct 8, 2018; Bronx, NY, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino (40) reacts after being relieved in the fourth inning against the Boston Red Sox in game three of the 2018 ALDS playoff baseball series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

With Luis Severino going down with an inflamed rotator cuff, the New York Yankees will need to amend the starting pitching rotation to accommodate his injury.

Severino was expected to be the opening day starter later in March, but manager Aaron Boone stated that he anticipates the pitcher starting the season on the DL. This would move J.A. Happ into the No. 1 spot and imply that he will be the opening day starter.

Happ finished 2018 with a 7-0 record with the Yanks after being traded from the Toronto Blue Jays midway through the season. He was undoubtedly one of the reasons the Yanks reached 100 wins and finished the season on a high note. With a 2.69 ERA in New York, Happ is a good alternative, but missing Severino will hurt the Bombers as they will have to rely on Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton to pick up the slack.

The New York Yankees could pursue a free agent starter:

With Happ likely moving into the No. 1 spot, finding a replacement for Severino is a necessity. Whether it be youth options already on the roster or a free agent, filling in for injured players will eventually be an issue as fatigue sets in. Having a significant player go down this early is worrisome.

Cheaper players like Gio Gonzalez or an expensive option like Dallas Keuchel remain available on the market, but I don’t think the Yanks will choose to spend more money on unnecessary players. With Domingo German, Jonathan Loaisige, Chance Adams, and Luis Cessa. I would prefer to give the ball to German and Loaisiga as back-end of the rotation starters until Severino and CC Sabathia return from injury.