Can (the other) Chris Young Help the Yankees?

Yanks Go Yard has been examining intriguing free agents that could be good or bad fits for the New York Yankees since the World Series ended. There is no denying the Yankees have some pretty big holes to fill. Obviously, shortstop is a concern for the first time since 1995. If Chase Headley goes for greener pastures, the Yanks will have a hole there as well. The starting rotation is scary. 

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Brian Cashman has hinted that he doesn’t want to go after the Big Three free agents, and after Jon Lester’s offer from the Cubs, I can’t see him entering that battle. So, what mid-range arms are out there to help. One perplexing guy is the reigning Comeback Player of the Year.

Chris Young is the 6’10”, 255 pound right-hander in the middle of the Seattle Mariners rotation. Young was once an up and coming pitcher for first the Rangers and then the Padres. Pitching for the Padres, wins were hard to come by, but he anchored the middle of a staff led by Cy Young winners Jake Peavy and Greg Maddux. His peripherals were always outstanding and despite a record of 9-8, he was named a NL All Star in 2007.

Then the injury bug hit. Young couldn’t stay on the field over the next five seasons and didn’t even appear in the big leagues at all in 2013. He signed with the Mariners in spring training on a bargain of a contract. No one in baseball knew if Young had anything in the tank or could even throw a full nine innings without getting hurt again.

Well, he did, and he did it well. Young wound up making 29 starts and pitching 165 innings, his highest mark since 2007. He didn’t waste the opportunity going 12-9 with a 3.65 ERA. He was so close to his old form that he was noticed by baseball and, as already mentioned, was the 2014 AL Comeback Player of the Year.

Now, Young is a free agent. He won’t be as cheap as the 1.2 million dollars he was worth last season, but with his track history, I bet he’d be willing to sign an inexpensive one-year deal. If that were to be the case, he would be a low risk, high reward pickup.

If C.C. Sabathia and Ivan Nova can’t regain their form, Young is a huge safety net. If Young gets injured again, it doesn’t hurt to outright him and move on. If he is anywhere close to last years form, Young could prove to be a valuable addition.