Yankees: Should NYY add former World Series MVP to rotation?

Hey, should the New York Yankees consider adding — Yes.

You didn’t even give me a chance to finish, I was asking about — Yes. Do it. Try anything. Please.

Entering 2021, the Yankees believed they’d put the type of roster in place to compete for a 28th World Series title, even though they were betting on a few rotation bounce backs while betting against the snooze-worthy ending of the 2020 season repeating itself.

Unfortunately, things have gotten so much worse this time around.

Good news: the team has shown a willingness to rebuild and retool on the fly in an effort to “not suck” for long!

Bad news: that resulted in Rougned Odor being slapped directly into the three-hole like a bearded piece of Flex Tape.

As the rotation regresses and the lineup continues to mostly bust, should the Bombers consider another band-aid arm, though? Depending on Cole Hamels’ price, absolutely. The veteran lefty threw off the mound again on Tuesday, engaging his PR wing in Jon Heyman.

With a potential showcase upcoming, the Yanks should plan on attending.

Yankees Rumors: Could Cole Hamels help the rotation?

He certainly couldn’t hurt! Depth is of the highest importance right about now.

You may have been soured by Hamels’ 2020 season with the Atlanta Braves, which was essentially nonexistent. After the pandemic threw a wrench into everyone’s preparation, the lefty was only able to complete one three-inning start, battling a shoulder issue in spring training and triceps tendinitis as Summer Camp loomed.

Hamels’ best days may be behind him, but … not too far behind. He was a viable starter on a playoff team in 2018, when he joined the Chicago Cubs at the deadline and went 4-3 with a 2.36 ERA in 12 starts, striking out 74 men in 76.1 innings pitched. The next year, his age-35 season, Hamels still held down the fort, posting a 113 ERA+ and missing bats, striking out 143 in 141.1 innings pitched.

Unfortunately, the Cubs flamed out in the postseason; Hamels only made a two-inning cameo in the 2018 Wild Card Game, and Chicago didn’t make it to the dance in any capacity in 2019.

Where will Hamels’ next stop be? That’ll likely be determined over the course of the next few weeks, a period that runs concurrent with the Yankees’ likely decision between selling and buying. The lefty is selling his Philadelphia-area home, which could indicate a reunion with his ’08 championship-winning organization is unlikely.

https://twitter.com/JeffSkversky/status/1403516443753385986?s=20

Now 37, Hamels likely won’t be very picky about who he plays for next, and also won’t come at an earth-shattering premium.

Ask yourself: if the Yankees add a lefty bat or two, could you really be dissatisfied with Hamels as the rotation stabilizer? Perhaps Hamels and an internal promotion for Luis Gil or Clarke Schmidt? Just saying.

Yankees: 4 trade options to replace consistently injured players

While the Yankees have brought in new conditioning staff, there is still a good chance that stints on the IL will likely continue for oft-injured players.