Desperation is setting in for the New York Yankees as their starting rotation needs serious reinforcements. Aside from Gerrit Cole, the Yankees are banking on the bounce back of Carlos Rodon and Nestor Cortes. Ideally, Clarke Schmidt would take a big step forward, and some of their younger arms would help support roles, but they need another star to boost their World Series aspirations.
At the current juncture, the Yankees are eyeing free agents Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell, but both come with concerns. The two lefties are 31 years old and coming off tremendous seasons, so general manager Brian Cashman will have to pay more than their market value, expecting regression as they continue to age.
Ideally, the Yankees would find a good rental on the market that won’t cost a significant amount, which is why Cleveland Guardians starter Shane Bieber makes a lot of sense.
December was rather quiet for the Yankees aside from landing Juan Soto, having missed out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed a $325 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, one reporter believes that things are about to ramp up over the next few weeks, and pitching support is on the way.
According to Andy Martino of SNY, the Yankees are “planning an active January,” and he projected they will “make at least one impactful addition to their pitching staff before spring training.”
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The Yankees Need to Make a Move at Some Point
The Yankees are frequently linked to every available top free agent or trade candidate. It is not unusual to see them being leveraged because of their aggressive nature, but the Yankees know they have to be involved in the market and not just propped up as a big player.
It is just a matter of finding the right value and if Cashman is willing to take a gamble that may determine his fate in the future. Another bad contract would severely limit the Yankees’ ability to continue building out the roster, which is why a cheaper alternative is logical.
If Cashman wants to extend Soto next off-season and potentially pursue a starting pitcher like Corbin Burnes, he can’t over-extend on Montgomery or Snell. Unless it is a short short-term deal with more money upfront, the Yankees need to play their cards right and not lock themselves into a contract that will hurt them down the road.