Yankees Editorial: Starting Rotation Depth Still a Priority for the New York Yankees

With less than one month remaining until pitchers and catchers report to George M. Steinbrenner Field in warm and sunny Tampa, Florida, it’s become evident that the New York Yankees still need to add at least one more starting pitcher. If you take the lingering injury questions surrounding Masahiro Tanaka (elbow), C.C. Sabathia (knee), Michael Pineda (shoulder), Ivan Nova (Tommy John), and tie that in to the fact that Nathan Eovaldi is yet to prove that he can control his electrifying arm let alone pitch under the immense pressure of Yankee Stadium, it proves that right now Chris Capuano is the most durable pitcher in their starting rotation…. a pretty scary thought as we approach the 2015 baseball season. 

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Don’t get me wrong, when 100 percent healthy, the Yankees possess one of the most talented pitching staffs in all of baseball. However, the black cloud of injuries is a cause for concern, and an alarming signal that the Yankees are in dire need of starting rotation depth. Should one of the aforementioned pitchers succumb to more injury woes, with the current roster in place, the Yankees will have to rely on minor leaguer’s Bryan Mitchell and Jose De Paula as emergency arms. With all signs pointing to Brian Cashman and Co. keeping their checkbook closed in the James Shields sweepstakes, that leaves only potential trades or free agent pitchers with question marks of their own to provide depth to the current Yankees rotation.

The good news is there are still a select few free agents out there that will fit well with the Yankees. The Yankees were recently linked to former Minnesota Twins and New York Mets ace Johan Santana, who was receiving significant interest from teams across baseball before suffering shoulder discomfort in his throwing arm, which ultimately caused him to miss his final start in the Venezuela Winter League. In my opinion, Brian Cashman would be wise to continue to show interest in Santana and attempt to bring him in on a minor league deal to see if he has anything left in the tank over the duration of Spring Training. If healthy, Santana can provide veteran leadership and a crafty arm to the back-end of the Yankees rotation while earning just a little more than the league minimum.

Another option is former Atlanta Braves prized-prospect Brandon Beachy, the 28-year old right-hander is attempting a comeback from a second injury that required a second Tommy John surgery to repair. Given his age and on-field production, and the fact that Beachy won’t be ready for the start of the 2014 season, he seems to be the most logical investment for the Yankees. In just 46 games started over a four-year span, Beachy has posted a modest 14-11 record with an impressive 3.23 ERA and an even more impressive 1.132 WHIP. Another option is former Texas Rangers pitcher Alexi Ogando, who is coming back from injury-related issues in his pitching elbow. Ogando, 31, hurled his best season in 2011, where he pitched to a 13-8 record with a 3.51 ERA and 1.136 WHIP. If things don’t pan out as a starter, the Yankees can always add Ogando to their already elite bullpen.

Should the Yankees decide to look elsewhere, they can call upon someone like Bruce Chen, Chad Billingsley, Scott Baker or Paul Maholm, each of which have their own questions when it comes to age, effectiveness and past injuries, but can all provide some sort of depth to the current Yankees pitching staff.

The point is, if the Yankees don’t want to entertain a trade and dip into their revamped prospect pool, they’ll have to roll the dice and take a gamble on one of the remaining free-agent pitchers still available on the market, similar to what they did with Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia a few years back.

Unless Brian Cashman has one more trick up his sleeve, options appear scarce for the Yankees, but adding depth to their stating rotation should be a major priority at this point. The question now becomes which pitcher will they put all their chips behind and hope for the most production out of? Who would you sign if you were Brian Cashman? Let us know in the comments below.

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