SPANISH HARLEM – On Tuesday Ben Whitney’s Article got me thinking (check it out if you haven’t already)… How much do the New York Yankees need pitching and will they reap the rewards that is expected this season? Anyone would like to trade for Jacob deGrom yet it’s the haul of prospects it would take to pry him away that scares me the most. I know fans are excited about the direction of this team though would it be smart to gamble all your trade chips to try and win the World Series this year?
So far the Yankees have filled their pitching injuries with young prospects that have potential but lack in the experience department. As the season dwindles down, experience may become a factor but we have also seen young prospects come up to produce for contenders, have an impact late in the season and excel in the playoffs. Its definitely not ideal but you make due with what you have and sometimes they pan out in your favor. Masahiro Tanaka seems to be close to game action and his replacement, Jonathan Loaisiga has pitched better than expected for a guy straight out of Double A. Domingo German has also filled in admirably since Jordan Montgomery was lost for the season due to Tommy John Surgery but the questions remains… what pitcher will the Yankees get at the trade deadline.
It’s almost a foregone conclusion that the Yankees will engage in offers to strengthen their starting pitching with names like J.A. Happ and Cole Hamels among the most likely candidates. At this point, I don’t see this organization trading a bunch of prospect for a top guy when Luis Severino has cemented himself as a Major League Ace pitcher but the problem with this team is their starters 2-5. If the playoffs started today, I would assume C.C. Sabathia would pitch game 2 but anything after that is up for grabs. That should scare most Yankees fans but if Tanaka can stay healthy and contribute the type of performance he did late last season, you have a solid 3 to start with.
I do anticipate a trade of some sort concerning a starting pitcher but I don’t expect the Yankees to trade top prospects when they are a year away from possibly getting a solid starter next year via Free Agency. Its always win now in New York and this organization has never shied away from adding top talent yet I feel this not the time to go all in and trade their best prospects when nothing is guaranteed. I would side with caution when it comes to what teams may be asking for from the Yankees because as Brian Cashman stated, this organization doesn’t want to win one World Series, they want to win multiple.
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