Yankees Rumors: Two free agent starters they could still sign

The Yankees have had a very busy offseason up to this point and they might not be done making moves just yet. With two weeks left until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, there’s a chance the Yanks could still look to sign a sixth starter to add some depth to their rotation.

If the Yankees don’t make another move before camp starts in two weeks they’d still be in great shape heading into the regular season. They had multiple needs that needed to be addressed and they did so and then some with the moves they made.

They shored up their infield defense by signing Troy Tulowitzki and D.J. LeMahieu who will also help the offense make up for the absence of Didi Gregorius in the lineup. They re-signed Zach Britton and signed Adam Ottavino to give them a bullpen that has the chance to be one of the most dominant in the history of the game. Finally, they traded for James Paxton and brought back J.A. Happ to give them one of the most complete starting staffs in baseball.

However, if there’s one concern with this starting staff it’s potential injuries. Paxton has been on the DL six times in five seasons and Mashiro Tanaka has pitched with a tear in his elbow for the last four seasons. CC Sabathia is the biggest question mark after he underwent emergency heart surgery back in early December.

CC is reportedly expected to be ready to go for spring training but it’s certainly no guarantee that he’ll make it all the way through his final big season without going on the DL. That’s why the Yanks could sign a low-cost veteran starter who could fill a rotation spot if one of their starters goes down in spring training.

So who are some potential options they could sign? Here are two names to keep an eye on according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Gio Gonzalez

Gonzalez was a member of the Brewers last season after he was acquired in a late-season trade from the Washington Nationals. The 33-year-old southpaw is a two-time All-Star who’s had a solid 11-year career so it is a surprise that he’s yet to find a new home.

Gonzalez was just ok last season going 10-11 with a 4.21 ERA in 171 innings and in the postseason he had an ERA of 6.00 in 3 IP. In his playoff career, he has a 4.91 ERA in eight starts. He’s probably past his prime but he’s a guy who is durable and always makes his 31-32 starts a season. With the Yankees, he wouldn’t be guaranteed the opportunity to make that many starts but he’d definitely be a great option to have if CC or somebody else gets hurt.

He’s also a guy who gets a lot of groundballs and induces soft contact so he could be a good option as a long man out of the pen or someone who could get out a tough left-hander.

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Ervin Santana

The second name on this list might be the best option in Ervin Santana. Santana is coming off an injury-plagued season where he only made five starts because of surgery to his middle finger. However, prior to 2018 Santana was coming off back to back seasons with an ERA under 3.40 where he made a combined 63 starts.

Injuries have never really been a concern with Sanatana prior to last season and between he and Gonzalez he definitely has the best stuff. His propensity for giving up home runs is somewhat troubling but he’d be a solid fifth or sixth starter for any team in baseball.

Whether the Yankees have any interest or if he’s willing to sign with a team that’s not gifting him a rotation spot remains to be seen. Although if there’s mutual interest and they could get Santana for a one-year deal around $2-3 million the Yanks should consider doing so.

I know that Jonathan Loaisiga, Chance Adams and Domingo German are other potential rotation options, but they may not be ready to take on a rotation spot in the case of injury. Santana doesn’t have their upside but he’s been there before and has proven to be a consistent big league starter for the better part of the last decade.