Bleeding Yankee Blue: WAITING...AND STILL WAITING....FOR PITCHING

Monday, July 16, 2018

WAITING...AND STILL WAITING....FOR PITCHING

Will it ever come?

Teams are interested. The Yankees have the prospects every other team wants but can the Yankees get any quality pitching that they want in return without overspending? It's an ugly market out there this season. The off season was crappy, the rotation ideally needs two more additions but is there anything worth chasing after? It's not looking so great.

So, the Giants have so kindly reached out to Brian Cashman and said that Jeff Samardzija is available. Anyone excited about that? The Yankees were interested in Samardzija years ago before he ran into shoulder and pectoral trouble this year. He's been on-and off the disabled list this year. He's pitched 44.2 innings and given up almost as many walks (26) and he has strikeouts (30) and has a 6.25 ERA. He's owed around $45 million through 2020. So to sum it all up, he can't stay healthy, has pitched poorly and still has a lot of money left on his contract. No wonder why the Giants are willing to get rid of him. We need pitching but he's not an upgrade to the Yankee rotation.

So Samardzija makes no sense but what about Zack Wheeler? According to Marc Carig HERE, the Yankees have recently inquired on Wheeler. The Yankees and Mets still have a trade rumor connection going on despite the fizzled Jacob DeGrom idea. Could the Yankees and Mets make a connection with Wheeler?

I will believe it when I see it but if the Mets are going to trade anyone to the Yankees Wheeler makes the most sense because he's only under team control for one more year and has an injury history and now is the time to sell him. Wheeler has pitched 107.1 innings this season. He has a 4.44 ERA but I don't read too much into it because he's pitching for the last place Mets. Last place....even the Marlins have a better record. Wheeler has pitched well in his last few starts and he's actually throwing harder since returning to the Mets post Tommy John and is now throwing a splitter. The extra velocity and new pitch is intriguing. He's worth checking in on.

Then there is Michael Fulmer....again. Talk about this guy just won't go away. The Tigers are doing their homework to prepare for a potential trade. The Tigers have been scouting the Yankees, read more here and they have interest in Tyler Wade and Clint Frazier. Cashman has already said he doesn't want to move Frazier, but would he move Wade? Fulmer could be a great addition to the Yankee rotation. He's been streaky at times but his stuff is good. He's one or two tweaks away from being a dominating pitcher. If the Yankees could the get Fulmer by creating a package with Wade or Frazier should they do it? Or should Frazier be off limits?

I feel like with all of the "maybes" the Yankees have been chasing but haven't made a move on yet is it possible that they have another idea in mind? The Yankees have said they don't want to move Justus Sheffield and CC Sabathia doesn't want them to either. In fact, he wants the Yankees to give Sheffield is shot by calling him up, read that here. Is that a possibility right now or is it too soon?

It's been a long first half. Hopefully the All Star break brings some clarity and some pitching to this team that it really needs. We are waiting for you to attack that weakness Cashman....anxiously waiting.

Stay Tuned.