There is no secret that the New York Yankees have struggled with starting pitching over the last few years. They have made moves over the past few years to attempt to address it, but nothing ever led to a World Series.
The Yankees signed the best pitcher in baseball last year in Gerrit Cole. However, the rotation behind Cole completely fell apart. James Paxton was acquired the year before but couldn’t stay healthy in 2020 to help the Yankees.
Luis Severino was out for the year due to Tommy John and Domingo German was suspended. Masahiro Tanaka and JA Happ were inconsistent as well as the young pitchers like Jordan Montgomery and Deivi Garcia.
Simply put, the Yankees had no consistency behind Gerrit Cole. If they want to win a World Series, they need to have a bonafide number two starter that sits behind their ace. Right now, they don’t have that.
When at his best, Luis Severino could be that guy. However, the Yankees don’t know what to expect from Severino as he attempts to come back in 2021. The Yankees are currently examining the market looking for pitching reinforcements.
It’s widely known that the bombers are not going to spend to sign a guy like Trevor Bauer. Bauer played for the Reds last year and won the Cy Young. However, there is a pitcher who pitched for the Reds that the Yankees should pursue.
The Yankees and the Reds to make another deal?
No, the Yankees shouldn’t go after Sonny Gray who’s reportedly available. That’s a been there, done that type of situation. Instead, the Yankees should definitely pursue the young All-Star, Luis Castillo.
Supposedly, the Reds are listening to offers for the young pitcher. Dan Federico was first to report this and it was later confirmed by Jon Heyman. The Yankees should be all over this potential trade.
Luis Castillo would be the perfect option to backup Gerrit Cole in the Yankees rotation. Castillo was 4-6 with a 3.21 ERA last year on the heels of an All-Star season that saw him go 15-8 with a 3.40 ERA.
Acquiring someone like Castillo would cost the Yankees a lot. In terms of prospects, this would be a much steeper price than getting a guy like Francisco Lindor considering Lindor’s pending free agency.
Castillo wouldn’t hit the free agent market until after the 2023 season. If the Yankees could pull off a deal for Castillo, that would instantly make them much better. Imagine a rotation with Cole, Castillo, and a healthy Severino.
There is no word on if the Yankees are pursuing Castillo. However, I would expect them to take a hard look if the Reds are serious about dealing him. This is a situation to watch.