5 former All-Stars Yankees can still target this offseason

2. Michael Wacha

Let’s kick the Red Sox while they’re down, no? Come on! Not only would such a move subtract from a rival, but it would get rid of an option who absolutely kicks the Yankees’ a–.

If Rodón slips through the Yankees’ fingertips, Michael Wacha could be a great option to stash in the back end of the rotation, and maybe there’s a world where he’s the No. 4/5 starter while Domingo German pops in if Wacha suffers an injury (which has been a bit of an issue since 2018).

The 2015 All-Star is far from his top-of-rotation days, but his 3.32 ERA, 4.14 FIP and 1.12 WHIP in 23 starts last year is encouraging for a cost-effective rotation option that can give you ~120 innings. Would we prefer an ace? Absolutely. But there’s only one left and it’s not a guarantee. Would you rather have Wacha making 20+ starts or German, if it came down to it?

He’s got two years of experience pitching in the AL East and owns a 3.02 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with 56 strikeouts in 10 games (eight starts), totaling 50.2 innings against New York. Though he’s been bad against the Rays, O’s and Blue Jays, the division matchups in 2023 will decrease from 19 to 13 games per opponent. The Yankees can strategize when they want to deploy him if worse comes to worst.

For somewhere between $8-$10 million, it’s a good backup plan in the event the trade market stinks or Rodón secures the bag elsewhere.