BYB HOT STOVE: VOLUME IX

Yankee pitching is still at the forefront of most fans' minds, including my own.  It is unsettling to me, personally, to not have confidence in starting pitching.  We don't have guys like Andy Pettitte and my all time favorite Ron Guidry to make me feel good about our consistency in pitching.  There is a lot of speculation about the Yankees needing to pick up a power starter from the few free agents left on the block.  And with the Daily News reporting this week that Pedro Martinez always wanted to be a Yankee, I am just completely baffled and dumbfounded when it comes to where we are headed this season.

Let's stay on the topic of pitching.  "It’s still not clear who will sign (James) Shields. The Marlins and Diamondbacks feel Shields is out of their price range, (Ken) Rosenthal writes, and the Giants, Padres and Red Sox don’t currently seem highly motivated, either."  But, there is no reason to count the Yankees out of the mix.  With our injuries and lack of depth in our starting pitching, James Shields could be a possibility.

Frankly, I really want Cole Hamels and if the Padres decide they want to go with Shields and not give up Wil Myers as recently speculated, Hamels could be up for grabs.  It's really a crap shoot, but my discomfort in starting pitching really has me desperate for something.

According to Scott White of CBSSports.com Fantasy News, "(Luis) Severino has earned comparisons to Pedro Martinez because of his smallish stature and use of a change up to offset his fastball, but that has been a go-to for scouts in recent years." He is listed at 26 in the top MLB pitching prospects according to White,  but as Fox Sports reports, "The Yankees believe top pitching prospect Luis Severino could make an impact in the majors in 2015, FOXSports.com reports."  I bring this up because although we crave starting pitching, we need to invest in Severino, triple A pitcher Bryan Mitchell and Masahiro Tanaka and help them grow.  Please don't give up Severino, ever. There, I feel better.

How about coaching? As you may have read earlier this week, the Yankees have spoken to fan favorite second baseman Willie Randolph about a potential coaching position.  According to Jon Heyman, "While the interview did not immediately result in the hiring of Randolph, it is a possibility in the future. Randolph won six World Series rings with Yankees including four as a coach. He last coached in the major leagues in 2011 for the Orioles." This is a bit of positive news.

Here's a little tidbit worthy of sharing: According to MLB Reporter Jesse Sanchez, "Though he won’t be eligible to sign until July 2, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has already drawn significant interest from the Mets, Blue Jays and Angels."  The young teenager is of course the son of MVP and All Star Vladimir Guerrero of the Los Angeles Angels.  Good for him...glad to see young family talent!

That's it for this edition of BYB Hot Stove.  Keep your fingers crossed and toes too for our Yankees and their pitching woes.

--Suzie Pinstripe, BYB Senior Staff Writer
BYB Hot Stove Columnist
Twitter: @suzieprof



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