Yankees Trade Target: Starting Pitcher Jesse Hahn

Oakland Athletics pitcher Jesse Hahn would make an excellent buy-low target for Yankees general manager Brian Cashman at the August 1st trade deadline.

As fun as it would be for the Yankees to go all in on an elite controllable starting pitcher like the Red Sox did with Drew Pomeranz Thursday, that has not been general manager Brian Cashman’s style over the past two years. Instead, Cashman has done a nice job of scouring the junk heap for assets undervalued by other teams.

The Yankees’ only trade deadline acquisition in 2015 was former first rounder and top prospect Dustin Ackley, who had a nice run down the stretch last year before missing the majority of 2016 with shoulder surgery. Didi Gregorius, Nathan Eovaldi, Aaron Hicks, and Aroldis Chapman were all premium talents bought for pennies on the dollar in the last two offseasons.

One starting pitcher sure to be available that stands out as a potential bargain for the Yankees is Jesse Hahn of the Oakland Athletics. He came into the season expected to be Oakland’s number two starter, but has struggled in limited time, and has actually been pitching for the A’s Triple-A affiliate in Nashville since a demotion on June 10.

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A 6.49 ERA in 34.2 innings is undeniably ugly, and Hahn’s peripheral stats aren’t any more encouraging this year. He’s struck out only 4.15 batters per nine innings, while walking 3.89 per nine. Hahn has never been a big strikeout guy, but that just isn’t going to get it done, especially when coupled with control problems.

Hahn’s run prevention in Triple-A has been a little better (3.60 ERA in 45 IP), but he’s still having trouble finding the strike zone (4.80 BB/9). To be clear, there is little reason to think Hahn will be able to help the Yankees this year, but there are reasons to think he could be an interesting project for pitching coach Larry Rothschild.

First, he’s still just 26 and comes with another four years of team control after 2016. He isn’t even arbitration eligible until 2018. Additionally, before this year, Hahn had put together two very effective MLB campaigns.

In 2014 with San Diego he had a 3.07 ERA and 3.40 FIP in 73.1 innings of work for the Padres. He followed that up with 16 strong starts for Oakland (3.35 ERA and 3.51 FIP) last season before being shut down in July with elbow inflammation. He was able to avoid surgery, but did not pitch the rest of the season.

The elbow issue provides one possible explanation for Hahn’s struggles this season. Whenever there is a sudden drop-off in performance like that, one of the first things that pops to mind is secret injury.

Could a TJ surgery be in Hahn’s future? Definitely possible. But with four years of team control remaining, that shouldn’t necessarily rule out the Yankees acquiring him. They’ll just have to take a careful look at his medicals and possibly use it as leverage to lower the asking price.

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With Hahn struggling even in Triple-A and the recent injury history, it shouldn’t take much for the Yankees to pry him loose from Oakland this month. If Cashman wants to walk this fine line between rebuilding and contending while simultaneously cutting costs, these are the types of low-cost, high-reward gambles he will have to continue to make.