The Yankees have made a lot of smaller moves this off season, but the starting rotation has not been one of those areas of improvement. There are still a lot of question marks out there. The lack of of a consistent starting rotation once again makes the Yankees look like the underdog, but it doesn't have to stay this way.
The Yankees have one of the best bullpen's on paper. I would argue to say that the Yankees could have one of the best bullpen's for the season. The problem here is the Yankees need to be able to get to these guys with a lead and not burn them out. Last year, Masahiro Tanaka was not the ace we were expecting and CC Sabathia just isn't healthy anymore and he is the only lefty we have so that means even more pressure. The Yankees could (and should) look at some starters that are still out there that could be good insurance for the Yankees.
There are some guys available that are still looking for a new team that have flown under the radar and are looking for a rebound year.
In 2014, Fister had his best full season of his career posting a 16-6 record and a 2.41 ERA for the Washington Nationals. Last year was not so kind to him as he lost a lot of his mechanics and was eventually demoted to the bullpen for the last 10 games of the season. Everyone goes through a rough patch, and the Yankees could help remold Fister and his mechanics. The fact that he was demoted to the bullpen last year would help the Yankees get him for a cheap price and....let's face it, he is durable which is already a big plus for the Yankees. I really think the Yankees could bring him back to his 2014 form.
Last year Latos bounced around from team to team playing for three different teams. He spent most of his time with the Miami Marlins but also played with the Dodgers and the Angels. He finished the year with a 4-10 record and a 4.95 ERA. On paper that looks ugly, but with so much of that time with the Marlins I don't weigh in on that too much. The Marlins did not score a lot of runs, and finished with a horrible 71-91 record. Not to mention that this was the first year that he has had an ERA over 3.5 since his rookie year, so this year isn't typical for him. He is due for a bounce back year, and he is still a young pitcher so I doubt that he is regressing.
Sure, he is 37 and getting up there in age, but he has been durable the last five years of his career which would be great for the Yankees. Four of the past five seasons he pitched 180 innings or more and had a respectable ERA. Last year was not his best, he finished with a 5-13 record and a 5.85 ERA but maybe this is a sign that he is ready to get out of Milwaukee.
The Yankees could still make a relatively cheap, single year deal here and maybe with one of these pitchers. They may not be lefties, or a big name splash but these guys could still make a difference for the Yankees. It could be worth the gamble....if Hal wants to open up his purse strings. After all you never know what could happen, right?
Will the Yankees make a move? Who knows, but it is always fun to speculate. Is there someone out there that you would like the Yankees to look at? Comment and let us know.
--Jeana Bellezza,
BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ
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