Several good starters are still unsigned. Trevor Bauer, Jake Odorizzi, Taijuan Walker, Corey Kluber, and others still populate the free agent pool. However, the trade market has been gaining steam as an alternative option for contenders to get the guys they want. It’s something the New York Yankees should be considering, as they badly need some reinforcements for the rotation.
On Christmas Eve, the Pittsburgh Pirates decided to trade first baseman Josh Bell to the Washington Nationals in exchange for a couple of young right-handers. Bell had been linked to the Yankees earlier in the winter, together with starting pitcher Jameson Taillon.
Pirates’ general manager Ben Cherington gave a hint on the team’s future plans after trading Bell and left the door open for more transactions in the coming weeks: “This probably won’t be the last of them,” he said, according to Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Pittsburgh had the worst record in Major League Baseball this year and isn’t particularly close to fielding a team that can compete in the National League Central division. That’s why the club opted to trade their slugging first baseman and is eager to move more assets as they look for future chips with lots of years of team control.
Will the Yankees make a move on one of Pittsburgh’s starters?
For the Yankees, this could mean that Taillon and fellow righty Joe Musgrove will become stronger possibilities as we inch closer to spring training. Ideally, Pittsburgh will deal those hurlers before the start of the season.
Lots of teams are interested in top-notch pitching: the Toronto Blue Jays, the New York Mets, the Los Angeles Angels could be suitors. Musgrove and Taillon wouldn’t come without risks, but they offer tremendous upside and shouldn’t cost the Yankees too much in terms of prospects. They won’t be cheap, but it likely won’t be, say, a Chris Sale-like return.
Taillon is 29 years old and missed the whole 2020 campaign while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, but should have no restrictions in 2021. He has a 3.67 career ERA (3.55 FIP, 3.93 SIERA) in 466.0 innings, with a 8.09 K/9.
Musgrove, meanwhile, is perhaps one of the National League’s most underrated starters. He struck out 12.48 batter per nine innings in 39.2 frames in 2020, with a 3.86 ERA (3.42 FIP, 3.50 SIERA.) He can miss bats with multiple pitches and would represent a fantastic option for the Yankees’ rotation.