Yankees ponder Plan B until Severino is back
TAMPA, Fla. – The Yankees are trying to stay optimistic, believing ace Luis Severino will be back on the mound before May, convincing themselves there’s no need to call Dallas Keuchel, Gio Gonzalez or any other starter on the free agent market.
They also have to be realistic, particularly for a team desperate to unseat the World Series champion Red Sox.
Severino, who had a cortisone shot and began taking anti-inflammatory medication Wednesday for the pain in his right shoulder, will be shut down for two weeks. At least. He will be re-evaluated in late March and determine whether he’s ready to return.
“There’s no guarantee it won’t be more than two weeks,” general manager Brian Cashman says. “Hopefully it’s short as necessary, but we’ve got to make sure he gets the time off that’s also necessary. He’s an important piece.”
When he returns, it’s anyone’s guess how long he stays.
“Obviously, it’s a concerning situation until he’s on the mound for a consistent period of time,” Cashman said, “to the point where you forget that it even happened.”
He believes the Yankees have the pitching depth to endure Severino’s absence, but you’re not talking about a fifth starter. He’s their ace.
If Severino is out for a lengthy period, the Yankees must make contingency plans. Certainly, Keuchel and Gonzalez won’t remain free agents much longer. Who knows, maybe even Bartolo Colon and James Shields will be signed before the season starts, too.
Maybe it’s time to pick up the phone and see if the Giants can be persuaded to deal Madison Bumgarner now instead of waiting until this summer. The Diamondbacks should be open to listening to offers for ace Zack Greinke, and perhaps Robbie Ray, too. The Indians dangled co-aces Corey Kluber and Trevor Bauer during the winter, so maybe those talks could be revisited.
Cashman doesn’t rule out any possibility but didn’t sound like a man ready to put any GM on speed dial.
“We’re going to rely on what we have here in camp,” he said, “and be open to any opportunities that present themselves and make sense. But what I got is what I got. We’re comfortable with that, but we also recognized that as the season plays out we’re going to have to add to this group regardless. Can’t rule anything out, but I’d say the main focus is what we have.”
The only certainties in their openingday rotation are Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ and James Paxton. Veteran CC Sabathia won’t be ready to start the season either, recovering from offseason knee surgery and having a stent placed in his heart. He also must serve a five-game suspension for intentionally hitting a Rays batter last September.
The get-to-know replacement candidates are top prospect Jonathan Loaisiga, Domingo German and Luis Cessa. They won’t need to go seven innings, or even six, but the Yankees don’t want to burn out their bullpen in April either by relying on relievers Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances, Zach Britton and Adam Ottavino.
“I like a lot of the personnel we have,” Cashman said, “but when things happen and you lose an important piece, it tests your depth. Obviously, the reason you have the depth is to cushion any blow you take. Hopefully everybody stays healthy as we go forward.”
Severino tried to be convincing that he’s not worried, saying there’s no reason for anyone to panic, but he’s not a doctor. He has never felt this kind of pain. And he still was in pain 24 hours later.
Everyone in camp is trying to remain optimistic, but when a pitcher winces in pain throwing a slider before his first spring training start Tuesday against the Braves and is rushed to an MRI machine, it can be rather alarming.
The Yankees know they need Severino. They locked him up to a four-year, $40 million contract for a reason. Then again, maybe his struggles in the second half of last season are a sign something might not be right.
This is a pitcher who yielded a 1.98 ERA in his first 18 starts last season, allowing a .195 batting average. The last 11 starts tell a different story. He went 4-5 with a 6.23 ERA, yielding a .323 batting average with 13 homers, lasting just 551⁄3 innings.
“Hopefully two weeks is something that will do the trick, and he can start ramping back up,” manager Aaron Boone said.
If not?
Well, operators better be on standby, because the Yankees will be making plenty of calls to teams and free agents near you.