Bombers need new rotation safety net
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Say you were in Vegas right now and had to wager a nice bit of money on this question: Who is going to lead the Yankees in innings in 2016? Who would you pick? Keep in mind CC Sabathia, with all of his problems on (and as we learned late in the season) off the field, was the only Yankee with the requirement of at least 162 innings last year to be qualified for the ERA title.
But he is 35 now, has brittle knees, a wellworn arm and is coming off a stint in a rehab facility.
Michael Pineda has yet to make it through a Yankee season healthy. Same for Masahiro Tanaka, who would be on any most likely to next need Tommy John surgery list.
Ivan Nova has Tommy John surgery in his recent past. Nate Eovaldi was obtained last offseason because the Yankees were facing a similar dilemma and were looking for a guy they thought could provide about 200 innings and had upside. But he missed the last month of the 2015 season with an inflamed forearm. Luis Severino is promising, but has never pitched a full major league season. Bryan Mitchell frustrates the Yankees because he is a talented guy who has yet to consistently produce re sults to match his skills.
Those are the seven options for the Yankees’ 2016 rotation. That is why — after dealing Adam Warren to the Cubs for Starlin Castro — the Yankees took advantage of their depth of lefty relief Wednesday by trading Justin Wilson to the Tigers for two upperlevel minor league starters — righties Luis Cessa and Chad Green.
It is also why even if you like the Castro trade, the loss of Warren was painful to the Yanks.
He was a great security blanket for both the rotation and bullpen — a latterday Ramiro Mendoza, but with more upside to become a useful fulltime starter or better because of his ability to command four pitches, throw strikes and athletically help himself on the mound fielding and holding runners. And the Yanks are also losing a guy who was well regarded in his clubhouse for his professionalism.
Warren was a guy who could soak up starter innings at a pretty good level when the inevitable Yankee injuries struck. And now that is gone, following other potential depth parts such as David Phelps and Shane Greene out the pinstriped door.
And keep in mind Warren and Severino were the only starters the Yankees definitively control beyond 2017. All of the others can be free agents after either the 2016 or ’17 campaigns. The Yankees think their firstround pick from last June, UCLA’s James Kaprielian, can come fast. They were pleasantly surprised in Instructional League that his fastball was playing up to 95 mph consistently to go along with good secondary stuff, plus they love his makeup.
But that is a lottery ticket, especially for 2016.
The Yankees need some surer stuff in their rotation for next year — and beyond. That is why you keep hearing Brett Gardner and Andrew Miller are available. The Yanks view them as important pieces to try to win in 2016, so they will only trade them if they get what they so desperately need: starters with less than three years of service time with high ceilings.
The Cubs asked a few times for Gardner in exchange for Castro, but the Yankees would not do that — a signal about what they want back to move Gardner. Since the Diamondbacks are going for it and their closer is currently softtossing Brad Ziegler, the Yanks inquired if they were interested in Miller. But that went nowhere. The Dodgers have not turned to the Yankees after their trade for Aroldis Chapman fell through.
The Astros were the team looking hardest at Miller, but decided to acquire Phillies closer Ken Giles instead.
With Aaron Hicks and Castro added to address the need for more athleticism and righty hitting and youth among their position players, the Yankees have turned their focus fully now to finding a starter to bolster a rotation whose durability you wouldn’t want to bet on.