Report: Yankees Had Scouts In Attendance Of Ian Kennedy’s Wednesday Start

Continuing with the theme of looking for value, without emptying the farm system for an elite starting pitcher, the New York Yankees may one again approach the San Diego Padres about one of their players. After Tuesday’s deal that sent Chase Headley to the Bronx for Yangervis Solarte and Rafael De Paula, according to Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports, the Bombers had scouts in attendance of Wednesday’s match-up between the Padres and the Chicago Cubs. The scouts were watching a former Yankees’ hurler, Ian Kennedy.

Kennedy would be right along the lines of the Yankees’ previous acquisition, pitcher Brandon McCarthy of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both are middle-of-the-rotation guys that can give a team solid innings. The Yankees have been devastated by injuries to their rotation, having lost Ivan Nova to Tommy John surgery, C.C. Sabathia to knee surgery, Michael Pineda to suspension and then an injury to his shoulder, and rookie sensation, Masahiro Tanaka to a partially torn UCL. The latest on Tanaka, is that he is still experiencing a large amount of pain in his elbow.

Kennedy wouldn’t cost the Yankees an arm and a leg, but probably a pair of mid-tier prospects. If acquired, Kennedy would join a patchwork rotation that includes the aforementioned McCarthy, last man standing from the original rotation, Hiroki Kuroda, Chase Whitley, Shane Greene, and David Phelps. Pineda is on schedule to return some time in August, and would most likely displace Whitley.