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Yankees Rumors: Three Possible Waiver Wire Candidates

By Paul Ashley

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JULY 29: Andrew McCutchen #22 of the San Francisco Giants bats against the Milwaukee Brewers in the bottom of the six inning at AT&T Park on July 29, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JULY 29: Andrew McCutchen #22 of the San Francisco Giants bats against the Milwaukee Brewers in the bottom of the six inning at AT&T Park on July 29, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 02: Chicago White Sox starting pitcher James Shields (33) delivers the ball against the Milwaukee Brewers on June 2, 2018 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Yankees have already made a flurry of moves to acquire pitching prior to the trade deadline.  However, with Sonny Gray and Luis Severino struggling, the Yankees may look for even more pitching depth.

James Shields is currently having an underrated season on the Chicago White Sox and he could provide a lot of value to the Yankees.  Despite holding a 4-13 record through 24 games in 2018, his numbers are surprisingly solid.

Shields has compiled 144.0 innings pitched on the season.  In those innings, he holds a 4.68 FIP and a 1.29 WHIP.  Although these numbers may not look spectacular, they compare very closely to a current Yankees starter that any team would love to have down the stretch.

CC Sabathia currently holds a 4.55 FIP and a 1.29 WHIP through 104.2 innings pitched in 2018.  As the Bronx Bombers are confident every time Sabathia takes the mound, they could end up having that same amount of confidence in Shields due to the similar FIP and WHIP.

As the White Sox have struggled mightily this season, Shields has not been discussed in trade chatter.  With the prorated amount of his $21 million still owed for 2018 and a $2 million buyout (or a $16 million team option) for 2019, he will most likely pass through waivers.

Shields does have 11 postseason starts between his time with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Kansas City Royals, so big starts down the stretch would not be new to him.  He was given the nickname “Big Game James” for a reason.

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