2012 MLB Free Agents: Yankees Contact C.J. Wilson and Roy Oswalt
By Editorial Staff
With his club looking to add pitching this offseason, New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has already checked in with free agent starters C.J. Wilson and Roy Oswalt. Wilson and Oswalt are represented by the same agent and are considered to be two of the top starting pitchers on the free agent market.
At this point, Cashman said that he’s “in the process of talking with everybody”. The GM is laying the groundwork for future deals and negotiations early in the offseason, stating that this is “the way the routine works”.
Who he is speaking with, top starters on the free agent market, reinforces the fact that New York will be targeting pitching this winter. The club has already extended ace C.C. Sabathia, but still has several holes in its rotation.
Cashman noted that Wilson “appears to be the top starter on the market”, and the Yankees could look to solidify the top of their staff by adding him to the fold. Oswalt is four years older than Wilson and battled injuries and inconsistency in 2011, but has been one of the better pitchers in baseball over the past decade.
Along with Wilson and Oswalt, Cashman has already reached out to veteran right-hander Freddy Garcia. Both sides appear interested in having Garcia return to the Yankees in 2012. Cashman also hopes to speak with Bartolo Colon’s representatives in the near the future.
New York signed the pair to Minor League deals before last season, a small investment that paid off in a big way. While expected number two and three starters Phil Hughes and A.J. Burnett struggled in 2011, Garcia and Colon contributed big innings for the club, combining to log over 300 frames while maintaining an ERA south of 4.00.
For more on the Yankees, be sure to check out Yanks Go Yard.
You can check out all of the available free agents by position below.