SHOULD THE YANKEES PURSUE TRISTON MCKENZIE?

Look, I've said it at least 30 times in 3 weeks, the Yankees need pitching help. The offense has been great, but we cannot sustain this. It's pretty simple.  Now comes a suggestion for pitching help and it's interesting.

They’ve lost Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Marcus Stroman to injuries. That’s not a crack in the rotation; that’s a full-on pitching apocalypse. So, what now? 

Once upon a time, Triston McKenzie was the next big thing. A first-round pick in 2015, he was billed as the future ace in Cleveland’s lineage of Cy Young hurlers—think CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee. Instead, he’s now the guy looking for a second (or third?) chance. As Indians skipper Stephen Vogt put it, “It was a difficult decision. It wasn't easy.” They DFA'd him. Translation: we really hoped this would work, but… yikes.

Enter MLB analyst Andrew Wright of Newsweek, who floated an intriguing idea: go get Triston McKenzie.

"McKenzie can be traded or placed on outright waivers any time prior to Friday,” Wright wrote, “and if he clears waivers, he will be free to sign with any team. A landing spot for the young right-hander? The New York Yankees."

And honestly, why not?

McKenzie, 27, isn’t exactly riding a heater—unless you count the seven runs, seven hits, and seven walks he gave up in just 5 2/3 innings this year as a hot mess. That ballooned his ERA to a bumpy 11.12. No, that’s not a typo. It's just ugly.

Still, maybe all he needs is a change of scenery. Maybe Matt Blake—the Yankees’ pitching whisperer—can unlock something the Indians couldn’t. And look, the Yankees aren’t exactly in a position to turn their noses up at anyone who can throw a baseball without spontaneously combusting.

This isn’t about McKenzie being perfect—it’s about the Yankees being desperate. They need arms. They need depth. They need something, anything, before Aaron Boone starts pulling fans out of Section 205 to pitch the seventh.

Andrew Wright may be onto something. Or maybe he’s just the only one saying what nobody in the Yankees front office wants to admit out loud: this rotation needs help. Whether you want to believe it or not.

So, Triston McKenzie? Sure. Why not?