TEMPE, Ariz. — At this point, it feels like I’m writing a series instead of one or two stories. No, this is not my first article, nor is it my second, to suggest that the Yankees need to augment, strengthen, improve, or at least extend their talented but thin starting rotation. But it’s definitely the most urgent thing for me.
If the Yankees needed one or two starters before Gerrit Cole felt pain in his right elbow, how many do you think they need now? Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced Monday that he is the best pitcher in baseball. It was a frightening moment in the spring when he announced that he would need to undergo an MRI scan for Golden Elbow. Even if he had acted calmly, this should have set off alarm bells.
Perhaps Cole’s elbow tweak may turn out to be no big deal, just a small change in an illustrious career. But setbacks of any kind are now a major concern. This is probably the best-case scenario, with Cole sitting out just for a spell.
But at least it’s a reminder that nothing is certain anymore when it comes to weapons. Even the most stable track record can take unexpected turns.
The Yankees need to act. Their depth was clearly in doubt at first, but it’s gotten even worse now. Since there is no certainty, we need at least one more strong possibility.
It doesn’t have to be Blake Snell, but the current National League Cy Young Award winner and perhaps the greatest free agent of all time, would be the most obvious solution. of course? One of the Cy Young Award winners has a question, so he brings in another one.
But I understand. After all, if managing partner Hal Steinbrenner is unwilling to spend more than $60 million to add a single player, except maybe a 100 percent Shohei Ohtani or a medicated Barry Bonds, then maybe 6000. Is there anyone worth a million dollars? — They can look elsewhere. Hal Steinbrenner has never liked the idea of increasing his Phase 4 tax liability from the current $11 million (more than $10 million, according to Cotto’s baseball contract) to $44 million. So there’s a good chance he won’t.
I think it’s probably best not to look at it that way. Imagine adding him to a tax bill of over $30 million, not just on one additional player, but on the entire team. But, of course, that’s easier said than done.
Even if the call is questionable for once, the two biggest prospects for Snell still appear to be the Angels (part of the reason I got off the plane to Phoenix to attend Angels camp) and the Giants. While all the talk these days is about the Angels, the team that makes the most sense is still the Giants.
Rumors spread that the Angels were making progress after Snell posted the famous eyeball emoji on his Instagram account. But all I can gather here is that both sides are talking. They’re actually talking about both Snell and DH JD Martinez.
It’s anyone’s guess what to make of this rumor, but Snell is the Angels’ idea that the West Coast native from Seattle is spending the winter (and this spring) in Orange County, training and coaching his kids’ team. I believe you will be pleased. However, it appears there is still work to be done on the side.
The Giants probably need Snell the most. They lost 40 percent of their rotation recently (due to injuries to Keaton Wynn and Tristan Beck in camp), and despite an impressive recovery, they still hang over their heads in the very tough National League West. They’ve already spent $250 million this winter, which dwarfs the rival Dodgers’ $1 billion-plus, so the Giants have an added incentive, not to mention a lot to take home.
Cardinals (whose rotation looks pretty underwhelming despite some early reinforcements), Phillies (who have a great rotation, but with Tyjuan Walker injured, they want to win more than anyone) ), the Mariners (Snells’ hometown team) and every team suffers from the fear of another injury.
Speaking of which, let’s first look at the scale of call concerns. I would never argue that they would pick a celebrity if he just regressed a little bit. Dylan Cease is there, and in terms of spoils, he’s at an unquestionably terrible bargain price at $8 million this year (plus another arbitration year). There have been some complaints about the asking price for Seeds, but the team that made the deal with the Sox has indicated that the Brewers would seek perhaps 1.5 times the price they paid for Corbin Burnes. That seems close to fair to me. While Burns is better, Cease is paid much less and has two years left.
There aren’t many great options after that, so you may have to overpay. The team was similarly dissatisfied with Jesus Luzardo’s asking price, or at least he was as well. And perhaps if the Mariners were to acquire Snell, they would consider trading one of their many young pitchers. They’re all really good and will need something in return, including probably top prospect Spencer Jones. But whether the Yankees admit it or not, these are desperate times.
