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Yankees: 3 starting pitchers NYY can target instead of Masahiro Tanaka

By Adam Weinrib |
New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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Yankees fans are approaching the sad reality of existing in 2021 without Masahiro Tanaka. These free agent starters could work.

Despite his October stumbles in 2020, you’d be hard-pressed to find a Yankees fan who wouldn’t extend the team’s relationship with Masahiro Tanaka — for the right price.

Then again, though, we might be entering a more annoying offseason than we ever would’ve imagined prior to the ’20 campaign.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has sliced into the finances of all MLB teams, with the Yankees crying poor in recent weeks, claiming the largest losses of any of the league’s members. Whether true or not, a Tanaka contract appears to be very much on the backburner, not to mention a DJ LeMahieu deal or any of the other roster-building necessities we envisioned.

Tanaka was once thought to be a shoo-in to return, but with LeMahieu on the docket and so many holes to fill, it’s quite possible that the “veteran” rotation-fillers won’t quite be of the near-32-year-old righty’s pedigree.

If the Yankees don’t find it in their hearts and their budgets to give Tanaka another shot, these three veteran fill-ins could patch up the rotation. After all, without the familiar vet, it’s just Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino (in July!), Clarke Schmidt, Deivi Garcia, Domingo German and Jordan Montgomery.

Seriously.

Mike Minor #23 of the Oakland Athletics (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Mike Minor #23 of the Oakland Athletics (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

3. Mike Minor

The Yankees could use 200 innings out of Mike Minor in 2021.

2020 was a tough, shortened campaign for Mike Minor, the 32-year-old lefty who definitely profiles as a 45-year-old throwback pitcher from the early ’90s.

Alas, despite his graying and grizzled physique, he’s just about the same age as Tanaka. Which is crazy! He’s also one year removed from a sterling 2019 season in Texas, which featured 208.1 innings, 200 strikeouts (thanks to some chicanery in the Arlington heat that got the Red Sox all hot and bothered) and a 3.59 ERA.

Frankly, Minor’s been extremely effective every year of his career except for 2020, when he posted ERAs above 5.00 in both stops, starting with the Rangers and zipping to the A’s at the midseason deadline.

The Yankees have a chance to get a genuine innings-eater here on some sort of one-year, Didi Gregorius-like pillow deal. He’s coming off the worst season of his career, and will still have a shot to garner a four-year deal next offseason if he rebounds properly in what should be an almost-normal campaign.

If the Yanks are bargain shopping, banking on a Minor rebound for cheap should be at the top of their list.

Tyler Chatwood #32 of the Chicago Cubs (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Tyler Chatwood #32 of the Chicago Cubs (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) /

2. Tyler Chatwood

The Yankees could get a bargain once again by taking advantage of a former Cub.

Tyler Chatwood, the spin rate king, was considered likely to be a massive breakout candidate when the Cubs swiped him from the Rockies in free agency a few years back.

We’re still waiting for Chatwood to become a household name, but in the shadows, he actually regained a good bit of confidence while no one was looking in Chi-Town.

In 2019, Chatwood split time between the ‘pen and rotation as a swingman, recapturing a bit of his supposed glory with a 3.76 ERA in 76.2 innings pitched (five starts). Chatwood throws a famously spinny bender, and has always theoretically had an extra gear to hit, which he approached but didn’t bypass in ’19.

Last time he hit free agency, it was anticipated that he’d reach his ceiling in Chicago, and the Cubs would be getting the final cheap and controllable years of Chatwood’s career. Well…no dice. He’s now hitting the market again, and seems like a prime target for Matt Blake to show off his developmental expertise.

If Chatwood can’t harness his spin rate under Blake, then it’s probably not happening. And, likewise, if Blake can’t unlock something here, he might not be as vaunted a pitching guru as we thought. This would be a high-pressure short-term addition, but perhaps the Yankees could be the ones to crush Chatwood into a diamond.

Kevin Gausman #34 of the San Francisco Giants (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
Kevin Gausman #34 of the San Francisco Giants (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) /

1. Kevin Gausman

Could the Yankees turn to former Baltimore foe Kevin Gausman?

Kevin Gausman was both my favorite potential cheap deadline target for 2020, and he’s also my favorite short-term rotation addition for the 2020-21 free agency cycle.

When Gausman’s sinker is on, he induces as many grounders as anyone — and coming off 2020, he’s now known for much more than simply being Greg Bird’s high school battery mate (gosh, remember that?).

There’s no mincing words here — Gausman’s a strange pitcher, and he finally turned his high-velocity movement into strikeouts in ’20, whiffing a remarkable 79 in 59.2 with a 3.62 mark in San Fran. The previous season, he cratered in Atlanta (6.19 ERA) before finding himself late in the season in Cincinnati (4.03 in 14 relief appearances and a single start). The year before that? 2.87 stretch run in Atlanta, leading the rotation heading into the playoffs.

There’s always been an “Any Given Sunday” vibe to Gausman since he was a top pitching prospect in Baltimore, and it seemed he pulled it all together during the shortened 2020 season. Even if he’s not fully established as a No. 2 just yet, you’re probably not going to find a more defined skill set on a budget than that of Gausman. His ceiling is steady and his floor is high. Also, he should only cost a one- or two-year deal.

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