New York Yankees: Is Michael Pineda worth keeping in 2018?

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Fans were ecstatic when the New York Yankees acquired the promising young pitcher back in 2012. But after a few seasons, Michael Pineda could be on his way out.

Michael Pineda has made memories with the New York Yankees.

From the “black substance” incident to his near no-hitter in 2017, the veteran pitcher has brought both glee and frustration to Yankees fanatics. But he and his slanted hat might not be occupying the mound in the upcoming season.

General Manager Brian Cashman and his crew have to make some decisions regarding the team’s starting rotation. With Masahiro Tanaka back in New York, now the front office needs to follow up with CC Sabathia and Pineda and decide whether to re-sign them or not.

For Sabathia, who is in the last few years of his career, the choice could be much easier. But regarding Pineda, who underwent Tommy John surgery this season, it’s much more complicated.

When general manager Brian Cashman traded Jesus Montero for Pineda and a few other players, it seemed like the front office robbed Seattle blind. Considering that Montero became a bust, it was nothing short of a great deal, despite the fact that Pineda didn’t play his first year in New York.

Yet, it seems that the Dominican never lived up to the high expectations.

Since he’s been in pinstripes, he’s put up rather inconsistent numbers. He’s mixed in mid-inning meltdowns with magical outings where he looked like a future Hall of Famer. His potential speaks ace status, but his performances suggest No. 3 option at best in the rotation.

As the New York Yankees enter an intriguing era, one with a youthful club capable of reaching the World Series, the players that Cashman acquires in these next two seasons will be most critical. Hence, the decision to re-sign Pineda is important.

Should New York give him another chance?

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 16: Chase Headley /

The Good

There aren’t many 28-year-old pitchers that possess more untapped potential than Pineda. He caught many people’s eyes while playing for the Mariners, which is why the Yankees gave up a supposed All-Star for him.

Clearly, the starting pitcher hasn’t proven himself just yet, or else re-signing him would be a no-brainer. But some of his past performances may convince the front office to pursue a new contract this offseason.

Pineda was stellar his first year in the league. His strikeout rate was above-average, but his command was still a work in progress. Home runs weren’t an issue, and he compiled more than 170 innings that year.

When he finally returned to the mound in 2014, he was even more dominant in his shortened season. In 76 1/3 innings, he yielded just 16 runs and racked up 59 strikeouts. His WHIP was a minuscule .825. It seemed that he would be the future of the Yankees organization, at least in the pitching department.

Throughout the previous three seasons, he’s still showcased that promise on the bump.

In 2015, the fireballer accumulated an insane 16 strikeouts in just seven innings of work against the Orioles on May 10. He notched at least seven whiffs in exactly half of his starts last season. Yet his best overall performance might have been from this season when he flirted with a perfect game after six innings in just his second start of the year.

When he’s on the mound, he has some of the most powerful stuff. And he perplexes opposing hitters often, boasting a K/9 rate of at least 8.5 in all but one season – surprisingly 2014.

Possibly the biggest advantage the Yankees have over Pineda right now relates to the price of his contract. Coming off a season-ending injury, the right-hander may be willing to take a pay cut, especially for a contending team.

Yet, that’s if the organization still wants him by the start of Spring Training.

NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 10: Michael Pineda /

The Bad

Among the long list of positive things that can be mentioned about Pineda, the expansion of that list in regards to problems may be longer.

Pineda still hasn’t reached that level of dominance that he was once at early in his career. Since 2014, he hasn’t posted an ERA below 4.00 and he’s averaged nearly 10 hits per nine innings, which is uninspiring.

Opponents test his composure, and more often than not, they are victorious in that battle. Despite possessing an electric collection of pitches, he gets flustered easily.

In two of his final starts prior to his surgery, he allowed five runs in three innings one start, while surrendering seven runs in just four innings in another.

This year, Pineda experienced an interesting campaign. Unlike 2016, when the pitcher was arguably awful throughout the majority of the year with some superior stretches, he generally did well against even the more potent lineups.

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Before the final three starts of his season, his ERA was at 3.56, which is moderate compared to most other MLB starters. His strikeout rate wasn’t as striking as in the past, but he still averaged more than eight per nine innings.

But he still has issues with his control, which has resulted in an uptick in major mistakes. While he kept his walks down to a minimum, he allowed more than 20 homers in each of the past three seasons. In 2017, hitters blasted 20 bombs against him in just 96 1/3 innings of work.

That, along with the unexpectedness of his future health issues and rebound from surgery, could force Cashman and company to look elsewhere for pitching help. With guys like Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn available, Pineda could be near the bottom of the New York’s holiday shopping list.

Surely, Pineda will be back on the mound when he his healthy again. Yet, due to his inconsistent nature and mediocre numbers across the past few years, it seems that 2017 was the last time fans will see “Big Mike” in pinstripes.

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