Tanaka’s Healthy, But Will The Yankees Add Another Pitcher?

George King III, of the New York Post reported that when asked about Masahiro Tanaka, Brian Cashman said, “He is a healthy player so there’s nothing to report on him other than you keep your fingers crossed that problem doesn’t rear its ugly head again.”

After partially tearing a tendon in his right elbow, Tanaka was placed on the disabled list last season, and opted not to get Tommy John surgery. Was that a smart decision? Who knows. Maybe they should have let him get the procedure done, and not take any chances. The Mets did exactly that for their ace, Matt Harvey. 

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What’s important for the Yankees is having Tanaka at 100 percent this season; they can’t afford to have him miss time. C.C. Sabathia’s knee injury was hurtful to the squad last season, as well as Michael Pineda’s shoulder. In order to have a productive year, they need all three of them in great shape, and healthy.

With those three healthy for the entire season, the Yankees have a shot at making the playoffs. The back end of their rotation is spotty and undecided at this point in the off-season, so the addition of another pitcher would be vital for the club. After losing Brandon McCarthy to the Dodgers, maybe a pitching move will come soon.

There has been much speculation regarding Max Scherzer potentially signing with the Yankees, but a lot of details still need to be figured out. Yes, they would love to have him, but his demands are high, and the Yankees don’t want to just throw another big contract his way.

With the inflation of the dollar in baseball in the last few years, a guy like Scherzer should get somewhere around $190-$200 million dollars. He wants $200 million, but I’m not sure he even knows what that number means. It means winning a Cy Young and an MVP in the same season; it means being Clayton Kershaw. The three-time Cy Young winner is the only pitcher in baseball who makes of $200 million dollars, and he’s worth it. He’s also 26-years-old, unlike Scherzer, who’s turning 31 next July.

For now, the Yankees should be happy that Tanaka is healthy. Maybe they will add another big name pitcher, maybe not. The winter meetings are full of surprises, and I’d be surprised if Scherzer is with the club come April.