New York Yankees, Gio Gonzalez Agree to 1-Year, $3M Deal

With just a few days left before Opening Day, the New York Yankees have added Gio Gonzalez to an already battered starting rotation.

After the New York Yankees acquired James Paxton from the Seattle Mariners this offseason, everyone lauded the move as just what the team needed. The team’s rotation has been its Achilles heel over the last few seasons and Paxton was viewed somewhat as its savior.

After all, not many teams feature a 1-2 punch the likes of Paxton and Luis Severino, right? Well, it turns out, neither do the Yankees.

With the recent news that Severino would miss “at least” the first month of the season, the Yanks were left scrambling for answers to the devastating loss. Many began to speculate as to where the team would look for to fill the void Sevy leaves behind.

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Could they decide to promote from within?

Luis Cessa has turned some heads this Spring, featuring a 0.69 ERA while striking out 13 in 13 innings of work. The same goes for Domingo German, who has pitched to a 1.54 ERA while striking out 18 in 11.2 IP.

However, both Cessa and German left a lot to be desired when given the opportunity to pitch in big league games last season. In 5 starts, Cessa pitched to a 5.24 ERA and 1.433 WHIP, while German gave up close to 2 HR/9.

Both starters are capable of facing big league batters, but they don’t necessarily spark confidence in an organization ready to compete for a world title.

Instead, the Yankees have opted to go after a veteran lefty, known for his propensity to keep the ball on the field. I’m talking about Gio Gonzalez.

On Monday it was reported that the Yanks and Gonzalez have come to terms on a deal. Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:

Gonzalez is exactly what the Yankees don’t have. In 8 out of the last 9 seasons, he’s started in at least 31 games. For his career, he’s pitched to a 3.69 ERA and a 1.316 WHIP. Those aren’t amazing numbers, but they should be enough to get the job done.

What’s more, they compare quite nicely to a member of the team’s “Core 4,” Andy Pettitte. For his career, Andy pitched to a 3.85 ERA and 1.351 WHIP… just enough to get the job done.

With the addition of Gonzalez, the team can relax a bit and allow Severino to come back at 100%. When Sevy returns, an already deep Yankees rotation becomes perhaps the deepest in the game.

1. Severino
2. Paxton
3. Tanaka
4. Happ
5. Gonzalez

Who can beat that?