THE OBSESSION WITH MICHAEL FULMER

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Just recently, I wrote a piece about the Yankees pitching problems. If you get a chance, check it out... it's titled YANKEE PITCHING PROBLEMS INDEED.

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Since then, it has been learned that Jordan Montgomery underwent Tommy John surgery making the situation a bit worse. Plus, now there's this hamstring-gate situation where some in Yankeeland are concerned about tightness in Masahiro Tanaka's hamstring, yet, Aaron Boone and Tanaka are kind of downplaying it and even Boone is expecting Tanaka to make his next start.

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The point is, you can almost be certain that the Yankees will be on the prowl for pitching as the non-waiver trade deadline approaches. There should be many names surfacing over the next few weeks as teams decide whether or not they will sell. One name that has been mentioned since last year has been Michael Fulmer of the Detroit Tigers.

Now look, I don't feel that Fulmer would be a wise choice at this point. In fact, this piece from the New York Post seems to think he is the dangerous choice. Check this out:

Photo: AP

"Michael Fulmer’s days in Detroit seem numbered, and while the Yankees showed some interest in the right-hander during the offseason, the former Mets prospect hasn’t looked like much of an upgrade to their rotation this year. The 25-year-old checks several of the Yankees’ boxes, from his age, to his ability to throw into the mid-to-high 90s, as well as the fact he’s not even arbitration eligible and would allow them to add a starter and stay well under the $197 million luxury tax threshold."

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Now while Fulmer DOES check many of the boxes for what Brian Cashman and the Yankees have been trying to do, I really hope they don't go down this road and obtain another pitcher they hope will do well. The key word there is "Hope".  Especially, when you consider that no team is going to trade a young pitcher who is under team control for nothing.  It would probably end up costing an arm and a leg to get him. The Yankees have that, but do they want to part with our solid prospects?

If Brian Cashman is going to make a trade for a pitcher, that pitcher has to be almost a sure thing. With a rotation full of maybes, now is not the time for another maybe.

Yes, the Yankees need another pitcher, but it's gotta be a guy  that makes us fans say, "We got this!"

Stay tuned on this one...

--Michael Carnesi
BYB Junior Writer
Twitter: @sevn4evr