Yankees need to make bold promotion after Elmer Rodriguez roster move

The New York Yankees went with a six-man rotation for one day when they recalled Elmer Rodriguez to take Gerrit Cole's spot in the rotation. Cole's Sunday start was pushed to Monday, and Rodriguez didn't get the job done, allowing three earned runs on four hits and two walks over four innings.

After the 4-1 loss to the Reds, Rodriguez was optioned back to Scranton. Some fans have speculated the corresponding move before Monday's game against the Detroit Tigers will be Yovanny Cruz. Even Yerry De Los Santos could be an option as he's pitched well. But the Yankees should think bolder than that.

It's time to begin Carlos Lagrange's MLB career. Has the right-hander been perfect at Triple-A? No. But waiting longer doesn't do anything. It either puts more pressure on Lagrange to perform when the season gets more intense, or it allows him to wither away longer in Pennsylvania.

Lagrange probably isn't fully MLB ready. And to be honest, few prospects are. That's why you just need to take the leap when the opportunity is there. The Yankees moved him to the bullpen in an effort to expedite his promotion, so if that's still the plan then there's no reason to delay.

Get him in the bullpen, start him off in multi-inning low-leverage appearances, and see where it goes. If he struggles greatly, then we knew he was never ready. If he's solid or dominant? Then we have something to work with.

Carlos Lagrange promotion would help Yankees in one of two ways

Also, if the Tarik Skubal trade rumors are true, giving Lagrange some MLB action would be helpful for those discussions with the Tigers. Just some food for thought. If he's not absolutely mowing down hitters at Triple-A, then we fail to see how his trade value can improve much more.

As for the short-term, the Yankees need bullpen help. And they need to start mapping out their potential answers for down the stretch and the postseason right now. It can't be like last season when they introduce four new people at the trade deadline and simply hope it works.

Runway for Lagrange will be important for his development. Picking the right spots for him to face big-league hitting should be a priority. We aren't learning much from one of the organization's top prospects facing the Columbus Clippers. He had an incredible spring training and then was rewarded by being optioned. We're not saying the Yankees were wrong, but sometimes players don't respond in earnest when the stakes aren't hgher.

The worst-case scenario is that Lagrange has an awful two weeks and needs to be sent back down. That'll give him another four weeks before the deadline to either rebuild his value or have the Yankees reconsider him as a bullpen option. It seems advantageous for the Yankees to be aggressive instead of going with a telegraphed move that won't change much of anything.

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