David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Yankees have added a lot of pieces this offseason. One thing they have yet to address is their need for starting pitching. As of right now the Yankees’ rotation consists of aging hurlers C.C. Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda followed by the very inconsistent Ivan Nova. It looks like Andy Pettitte has retired for good this time, barring a Favre-esque stunt of course.
So how are they going to fill the holes in their rotation? Well, the Yankees are major players for the recently posted Masahiro Tanaka who is expected to cost over $100 million. Tanaka would seem to be a perfect fit for the Yanks and would bring youth to an aging rotation. He has been likened to Kuroda as far as ability and provides a solid presence for the future.
It was first thought that if New York could not get Tanaka, free agent Ubaldo Jimenez would be the most likely target. As it turns out, the Yankees could end up landing both Tanaka and Jimenez. It was widely reported that the Yankees were trying to stay under $189 million this offseason to stay away from the luxury tax. As great as that sounds, New York already blew right by that number so it makes sense to go after both guys.
Jimenez finished 2013 with a 13-9 record, 3.30 ERA, and had 194 strikeouts in 182.2 innings. Not bad numbers for someone who is being considered as a consolation prize. His resurgence after the All-Star break really made his stock rise as he went into free agency.
With the Yankees no longer concerned about the luxury tax they are in a prime position to land both their top priority and their talented backup plan. A rotation of Sabathia, Tanaka, Kuroda, Jimenez, and Nova to go along with the other great additions they have made in the offseason would make the Yankees an interesting team in the AL East in 2014.