It is no secret the New York Yankees are in the market for starting pitching, but general manager Brian Cashman is taking his good old time finding a supplement for three starters that hit the open market this off-season.
The Yankees are without James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka, and JA Happ, and while they did save about $52 million with their departures, they have to jump on an addendum quickly before the better options are all plucked off the board.
Late on Monday night, former Texas Rangers starter Lance Lynn was traded, indicating that the Yankees would not be pursuing his services and a possible reunion was out of the picture.
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported that the Texas Rangers would be sending Lance Lynn over to the Chicago White Sox in return for Dane Dunning and a pitching prospect.
With another starter off the board, the Yankees now have to move forward and target other pitchers. Lynn would have been an excellent fit with the Yankees, especially after a dominant 2020 season where he finished 6-3 with a 3.32 ERA. He was sixth in Cy Young voting and had a concrete campaign in 2019 as well.
Chicago didn’t have to give up too much to acquire Lynn, who is only earning $10 million per season. This is a contract the Yankees would’ve happily consumed and added to the rotation, as he delivers more quality than Tanaka and any of the departing starters.
The New York Yankees are waiting patiently:
Nevertheless, there are several players on the market that the Yankees will undoubtedly be pursuing. Some recent names that have bubbled to the surface are Garrett Richards, Tomoyuki  Sugano, and even Trevor Bauer.
There have been reports that Bauer could be looking for a one year deal, something the Yankees might consider entertaining if they have World Series aspirations in 2021.
Assuming they will have to pay Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres down the road, fighting for a World Series appearance now is in their best interest.
Oddly, Cashman’s patience is not doing the Yankees any favors. As the winter meetings are held virtually this year due to COVID-19, things will be slow developing, which indicates Cashman’s hesitancy entering the hot stove months. However, missing out on a daybreak deal with Lynn isn’t Cashman-esque, so we will be keeping a close eye on his moves and what the Yankees are doing in the imminent days.