Bomber Bites With Jumping Joe–Why The Yankees Won’t Sign Max Scherzer

The Yankees have stated all off-season that they are out on Max Scherzer.  They stated the same on Jon Lester before he signed with the Cubs and say the same about James Shields.  With the Yankees seemingly in need of rotation help, especially with the jettisoning of Hiroki Kuroda, Shane Greene, Brandon McCarthy and Manny Banuelos, why aren’t they making a bigger effort to sign a top flight pitcher?

Just a few years ago, the opportunity to land a top flight starting pitcher was exceedingly rare.  Most teams were locking up their free agent pitchers early and not letting them hit the market and GMs would loathe to trade them.  That climate however has changed.

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In the last six months we have seen David Price, Jeff Samardzija (twice), Jason Hammel, Doug Fister, Lester (twice) Ubaldo Jimenez, Jake Peavy, Mat Latos, and John Lackey among others change teams.  Scherzer and Shields are free agents like to sign elsewhere.  Next season, Johnny Cueto and Price will be free agents.  The Nationals are trying to trade Jordan Zimmermann if they can’t sign him to an extension.

Suddenly, there is an abundance of options in the starting pitching market for teams like the Yankees who have the need.  So they Yankees do not need to be in on every pitcher rumored to be available.  They tried to talk about Price at the trade deadline last season and kicked the tires on Lester.  However, they have generally viewed Shields as being too old and Scherzer as being too expensive.

With the Yankee roster seemingly being built with a larger eye toward the future, rather than the old win now at all costs philosophy, it seems increasing likely that the Yankees may actually have an eye toward a pitcher likely to become available in the future over Scherzer.

At this point, Scherzer has apparently priced himself out of the Yankees (and most teams) plans.  The Yankees may view Scherzer as not worth the gamble presented on the contract he is looking for and could have their eyes on different prize.  This different prize would most likely be Price or Cueto.

Both Price and Cueto are due to be free agents at the end of next season.  If either the Tigers or Reds start to fall out of contention, both could be available sooner via trade.  It seems unlikely that they would not at least test the free agent waters so they Yankees will have a very realistic change at acquiring either of them.

With a chance to acquire either of those pitchers a virtual certainty within the next 6-12 months, the Yankees may simply value Price or Cueto more than Scherzer and bide their time until then.  Both Cueto and Price are younger than Scherzer and have a longer track record in the bigs.  Price is also left handed which is a big plus at Yankees Stadium.  Cueto has an injury history but has been one of the best pitchers in the majors when he takes the mound over the last few years.

GM Brian Cashman has played the long game with pitching before.  He refused to trade Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain and others for Johan Santana in 2008 opting instead to wait for CC Sabathia to become a free agent and then signing the big lefty to a massive contract.  Yankee fans will just have to wait to see how things turn out this time.