With Lance Lynn being the latest starter to go to a new team ahead of the 2021 season, the Yankees’ pitching options continue to dwindle as the days go by this offseason.
Before Lynn, it was Charlie Morton signing a deal with the Atlanta Braves and Mike Minor joining the Kansas City Royals. Robbie Ray and Drew Smyly also found new homes with the Toronto Blue Jays and Braves, respectively.
The Yankees’ mindset at the moment, though, is re-signing DJ LeMahieu. And as SNY’s Andy Martino has reported, several agents believe the Yanks will know what they can do elsewhere once LeMahieu makes his decision. Until then, options may continue to fall off the board.
So with the latest domino in Lynn to fall, where else could the Yankees go for some rotation help this offseason? They’re going to need it and should be looking in that market as well.
Here are the five best options...
5. Taijuan Walker
It’s a low-risk, high-reward signing if the Yankees can land the 28-year-old righty. New York was in on his trade market at the deadline last season, but the Blue Jays actually made the deal to land him. They have yet to re-sign him, though, so the Yanks might be able to steal him away.
Walker had a 1.37 ERA in six starts for Toronto once he came over from the Seattle Mariners. He isn’t the hardest thrower, but he’s crafty with a fastball-sinker combo that works with a cutter and splitter, too. And he’s one of the younger pitchers on the market.
He’s the lowest on this list because the Yankees would love to have a solid No. 2 behind Gerrit Cole with James Paxton, Masahiro Tanaka (we’ll get to that later) and J.A. Happ all free agents. Walker’s track record doesn’t suggest he’s at that quality at this stage in his career. He’s still an effective starter, though, and one who can contribute immediately with the rest of the current staff.
4. Tomoyuki Sugano
The Yomiuri Giants officially posted the Japanese star hurler, and several MLB teams are expected to be interested in his talents this year. The Yankees, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi, were among teams expected to be in on him.
Sugano owned a 2.34 ERA over his career with the Giants, and had an astonishing 4.59 strikeout-to-walk ratio (1,216 K's/265 BB). He also won the Sawamura Award for the best starting pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball twice during that span.
Unlike Tanaka when he came over to the states, Sugano is already 31 years old. So he certainly won’t cost as much as Tanaka did. But he is still one of the best in Japan at the moment, and the Yanks may be interested in a fresh, new arm that the league hasn’t seen yet.
3. Corey Kluber
A two-time Cy Young winner doesn’t hit the market often. But injuries the past two seasons have kept Kluber from being his dominant self, so the Yanks would have to bank on him returning to something close to his old form if he can stay healthy.
Kluber has started only eight games in the past two seasons after breaking his arm in 2019 and suffering a torn muscle in his only start of the 2020 campaign. While that is concerning and something the Yankees will need to take into account, Kluber’s stuff on the mound is still some of the best in the game when he can get into a groove. And he has the postseason pedigree that would work well alongside Cole.
If the Yanks want to take a chance on a short-term deal for Kluber, it would definitely make sense. The Boston Red Sox and New York Mets have also been teams connected to the 34-year-old.