Yankees could make a run at White Sox ace to bolster rotation

Lucas Giolito, yankees
May 14, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito (27) throws the ball against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Given Nestor Cortés’s regression and Carlos Rodon’s injury, the New York Yankees might need to bolster their starting rotation.

The return of Luis Severino, who recently pitched 4.2 innings and conceded only one earned run against the Cincinnati Reds, should significantly strengthen the unit.

However, if Brian Cashman, the general manager, is more inclined to enhance the rotation rather than the left field, he might consider trading one of his prospects, notably Oswald Peraza.

Several trade options should be available at this summer’s deadline, but the Yankees will need to focus on underperforming teams to acquire their best players.

Per Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Chicago White Sox might be considering offloading Lucas Giolito, given their dwindling chances of reaching the postseason. Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated also suggests that the Yankees might be interested in acquiring Giolito’s services at the deadline.

“If this team doesn’t reverse course, drastic changes could be in order between now and the trade deadline. They could start by shopping Giolito, a one-time All-Star with three top 11 finishes in Cy Young Award voting, who is out of contract after this year.”

So, what would the Yankees be gaining in Lucas Giolito?

Giolito, who boasts a 3.62 ERA this season across 59.2 innings, could be a valuable addition to the Bombers. Given his track record of consistent health throughout his career, the Yankees might prefer him over more injury-prone players like Frankie Montas or Rodon, for whom they have already expended significant resources.

At the age of just 28, Giolito has a left-on-base rate of 76.9%, a ground ball rate of 33.1%, and is allowing only 1.21 home runs per nine innings. Additionally, he’s striking out 9.05 batters per nine innings and walking 1.81.

Given Giolito’s history of success and efficiency, he could potentially be a good fit for the Yankees’ No. 5 spot in the rotation. This is despite the fact that he does not regularly use a sinker, a pitch favored by pitching coach Matt Blake.

Giolito’s primary pitches are a four-seam fastball, slider, and changeup. His fastball averages 92.9 mph and has a .238 batting average against, with a 22.2% whiff rate and a 22.1% put-away rate. His slider has been the most effective of his three pitches, generating a .191 batting average and a 33.9% whiff rate with a usage rate of 28.4%.

Giolito has made only two postseason appearances in recent years, during which he pitched a total of 11.1 innings and recorded an ERA of 3.97. Considering the heightened intensity of playoff games, these numbers suggest that he can perform well under pressure.

Ultimately, the Yankees face some tough choices. They cannot be certain that Rodon will remain healthy for the rest of the 2023 season, and Cortes currently has a high ERA of 5.21 across 48.1 innings.

With the postseason approaching, the Yankees cannot afford to have multiple weaknesses in their rotation. This suggests that they may need to trade some of their minor-league prospects to acquire a reliable starting pitcher.