The New York Yankees don’t have much turnover occurring in the starting rotation this off-season, but they are set to lose Jameson Taillon, who served valiantly as the team’s No. 5 option this past season and even could be considered a mid-rotation arm. Taillon joined the Yankees in 2021, receiving plenty of positive words from one of his good friends, Gerrit Cole.
During his first season with the Yankees, Taillon pitched 144.1 innings, recording a 4.30 ERA and 8.73 strikeouts per nine. He even increased his innings tally in 2022, reaching 177.1 with a 3.91 ERA, 3.79 xFIP, and 7.66 strikeouts per nine.
Overall, he showed the longevity teams want to see when investing in a long-term solution in the pitching rotation. However, it doesn’t seem as though general manager Brian Cashman is keen on bringing back Taillon, despite having a solid year two years removed from Tommy John surgery.
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Unfortunately, the 31-year-old starter simply doesn’t have the velocity the Yankees prefer, relying on weak contact to get the job done, which can be a slippery slope if accuracy drops off. Jameson was dominant during the first half of the 2022 season but was a bit polarizing during the second half post-All-Star break.
Nonetheless, there are a myriad of teams interested in Taillon this off-season, even willing to give him a significant multiyear deal.
Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Taillon is getting a ton of interest in free agency and could land a solid deal.
Word is that Jameson Taillon has impressed teams during his free-agent Zoom meetings. Taillon’s market is gaining steam, per sources, and he is expected to command a deal worth more than the four-year, $56 million contract Jon Gray signed with Texas last winter.
The Yankees need to replace Jameson Taillon with a better pitcher:
With Taillon expected to leave, the Yankees have a void in the rotation, unless they want to fill the spot with Clarke Schmidt or Domingo Germán. It is possible that Cashman looks to bring in another starter, having been connected to several top-tier arms this off-season.
Notably, the Yankees have requested a medical on Jacob deGrom and have reported interest in Justin Verlander. They’ve also made contact with Kodai Senga out of Japan and Carlos Rodon, another starter looking for a big contract.
Ultimately, Cashman won’t turn his attention toward the starting pitching market until they figure out Aaron Judge’s extension. They have an offer of eight years, $300 million on the table, but Judge is still trying to increase that number by pinning the San Francisco Giants against the Bombers.