Yankees: 5 things to change if team is still struggling at All-Star break

4. Trade for an Effective Starting Pitcher

Since the first day of the regular season, most will agree that the starting pitching, a concern entering the new season, has improved.

Not surprisingly, Gerrit Cole has been pitching like a Cy Young Award winner. Domingo German, Corey Kluber, and Jameson Taillon have continued to improve their performance on the mound. While Jordan Montgomery has had a couple of challenging outings, he also has shown an ability to command a game and pitch well. Let’s hope that he will become more effective as he continues to throw more games.

And let’s not forget that Luis Severino will eventually join the starting pitching core in July or August. How much he will be able to pitch, however, remains to be seen. Moreover, there is always the question of how close he can return to being his original self following his Tommy John surgery. We should assume that this will be a work in progress.

If the Yanks are still struggling during the All-Star break and one or more of the starting pitchers are throwing poorly, the club should consider acquiring another solid starting pitcher before the trade deadline or during the offseason.

Kluber is only signed for one year. This issue will likely be addressed sooner rather than later if the Bombers decide to retain him.

At any rate, though this rotation has performed better of late, it still feels like a work in progress that can use some more insulation. Does that boost come internally from Deivi Garcia or the rehabbing (and phenomenal looking) Clarke Schmidt? Or perhaps a mid-tier trade target like Jose Ureña of the Tigers?