The New York Yankees will need to allocate some of their funds toward the starting pitching rotation this upcoming off-season, along with finding a premier solution at shortstop until prospect Anthony Volpe is ready for the big leagues.
However, pitching has been a weakness for the Yankees the past few seasons, despite spending $324 million on Gerrit Cole over nine years. After signing Corey Kluber to a one-year, $11 million deal and trading for Jameson Taillon, the Bombers are once again in a position where they need to supplement losses. Taillon will hopefully remain healthy next year and provide a bit more consistency, but Kluber will hit the free-agent market without much resistance.
Currently, the Yankees have some strong points in the starting rotation but would like to add another high end, reliable player.
Starting pitchers on the roster:
1. ) Gerrit Cole
2.) Luis Severino
3.) Domingo German
4.) Luis Gil
5.) Nestor Cortes
6.) Jordan Montgomery
7.) Jameson Taillon
One free-agent target could be Toronto Blue Jays starter, Robbie Ray. Ray has had an interesting career, posting a 6.62 ERA in 2020 but having a dominant season with Toronto this past year, hosting a 2.84 ERA.
Ray signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Blue Jays for 2021 but will be seeking a new home unless extended this off-season. He recorded an 11.57 strikeouts per nine rate and a career-high 90.1% left on-base percentage. His primary pitches are a fastball, slider, curveball, and change up. His fastball averaged a career-high 94.8 mph this past season and slider 88.7, another high.
Whatever Toronto did to help him develop, it worked like a charm. If the Yankees targeted him and were able to maintain his talent, they could inject a perfect option behind Gerrit Cole to give them more consistency. In addition, he’s only 30 years old and throws lefty, adding more diversity to the rotation as well.
Do you think the Yankees should target Robbie Ray? Comment here! wpdiscuz-feedback id=”ork3aopwc0″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”0″][/wpdiscuz-feedback]