I'LL BANG THE DRUM AGAIN! THE YANKEES NEED STARTING PITCHING!

Blame your wonderful Yankee front office who sat on their hands when Gerrit Cole went down.  We are now 9-7. The New York Yankees are off to a wobbly start and a pitching staff that’s leaking runs faster than a busted fire hydrant. Their rotation is dragging a bloated 5.40 ERA—dead last in the Majors—and to make matters worse, Marcus Stroman just joined the growing injury parade. That’s left the Bronx Bombers with a not-so-bombastic need: reinforcements, ASAP.

Enter Pablo López, the Minnesota Twins’ 29-year-old righty and All-Star-caliber arm, who might just be the answer to Brian Cashman's prayers—assuming the front office can muster up some trade magic. This idea was floated by Pinstripe Alley, BVM Sports as well as Empire Sports Media and the truth is they are not far off.  It's a good idea. López is currently on the 15-day injured list with a minor hamstring hiccup, but he’s expected to be good to go long before the trade deadline hits in late July. And if he’s on the market, he’ll be one of the juiciest names out there.

According to BVM Sports, the Yankees could dangle their top infield prospect, George Lombard Jr., as trade bait in a deal for López. It’s a high-stakes chess move: sacrifice the future for some much-needed stability now.

But López isn’t the only name on the Yankees' hypothetical wishlist. Dodgers fireballer Bobby Miller or Cardinals veteran Miles Mikolas could also be on the radar. Still, any of those arms will come at a steep price—likely involving one or more of the Yankees' prized young talents.

Here’s the real kicker: the Yankees wouldn’t be in this mess if their front office had acted with even a hint of urgency after Gerrit Cole went down. Instead, they crossed their fingers and hoped for miracles. Spoiler alert: miracles are rare in baseball.

So here we are. The Bombers need a rotation reboot, and the clock is ticking. Whether Pablo López ends up in pinstripes or not, one thing's for sure—standing still isn’t an option anymore.

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Aaron Judge is the big fish, but he's not the only one out there. Remember, the Yankees didn't get very far in the post season for a few reasons. Judge wasn't the only reason. Their offense stunk and pitching was a little shaky. I had said it all year; I said the Yankees looked great for most of the season, but it's in those short series that you truly find what kind of team you have. The Yanks didn't have it, and so, we really need to think about what to do to improve.

There are some names attached to the Yankees this offseason. I wanted to share four of them with you. Do with it what you want. The rumor season is always a weird one built up with clicks and ideas. So, in the end, who knows what will really happen. But I wanted to share the names anyway... because it's fun.

Pablo Lopez:

The Yankees liked this guy back in August. But nothing ever happened.  Now, his name is back in the fold and this time he's connected to Gleyber Torres to make it a reality. Jon Heyman tweets this:

Biggest name hear available in trade so far is Marlins pitcher Pablo Lopez. Fish need hitters! Came close to dealing him to Yankees at deadline in a Gleyber Torres deal.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 8, 2022

Yanks go Yard says this:

"The Marlins need hitters and they have a plethora of starting pitchers, with Lopez slowly becoming expendable because he’s a free agent after 2024 who likely won’t be re-signed due to the other emerging arms in the organization. He’s expected to make $6.3 million in arbitration in 2023, which would be a cost-effective price for a pitcher of his caliber as well as the Yankees’ needs (a No. 4 and 5 behind Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes and Luis Severino)."

My take? I think Lopez will turn into another Frankie Montas. Looks decent when not in a big market like New York... nerves get the best of him IN New York.  While I do see Gleyber Torres getting moved this off season, I don't want it to be for Lopez.

Michael Conforto:

Why Conforto you ask? I ask that too... why the hell do we want Michael Conforto?  Heyman writes "Conforto, said to be healthy now, would fit Yankee Stadium..."  But why Jon, because he's available and a lefty hitter? Conforto batted .232 in 2021. And he did not play a single inning in 2022. Hardly a powerhouse and definitely not better than what we already have in the outfield. You wanna dump Hicks for him? Sure, then maybe it's an upgrade. But just getting Conforto for the sake of getting him is ridiculous. Heyman doesn't seem to get that missing a year can be a severe blow to a player's ability. Conforto may be fine, but he also could be a bust. Hard sell. 

Andrew Benintendi:

No brainer. The Yankees had Andrew this year and are interested in retaining him in 2023. Benny wants to come back, and so now it's just a matter of time to get that done. Bleacher Report writes:

"Benintendi was supposed to be their answer after they acquired him from the Kansas City Royals, but his season ended Sept. 2 when a pitch broke his wrist. The 28-year-old hit .304/.373/.399 in 126 games with the Royals and Yankees last season."

It's respectable, and definitely a hell of a lot better than taking a chance on Conforto.

Carlos Rodon:

David Cone says this of Rodon:

"Carlos Rodon is in a class by himself. Upper-90s fastball. Left-handed. Power pitcher. Coming off a great year. He’s a cut above. He’s going to command a big deal wherever he goes, as long as you can get past his medicals. He does have a little bit of an injury history. But he certainly had a great year last year once again with the Giants.”

He is not wrong. Yahoo Sports writes:

"Rodon proved the last two seasons that when he’s right physically, he’s one of the best pitchers in baseball.

The southpaw pitched to a 2.37 ERA over 24 starts for the White Sox in 2021, posting a 0.957 WHIP and an eye-popping 185 ERA-plus.

Then last season, after signing a short-term deal (due to his injury history) with the Giants, he went 14-8 with a 2.88 ERA over 31 starts. He racked up 237 strikeouts over 278 innings, and his K rate of 12 per nine innings was the best in the majors for a starting pitcher."

While it appears to be a smart move, it comes down to money, and how this guy will perform in a place like Yankee stadium.  Plus, you always have to factor in injury, which, is an issue with this guy.

Yes. the Yankees are connected to a lot of other guys as well, including Justin Verlander and Cody Bellinger, but I just don't see those names as guys with a big upside. We definitely do not need Bellinger, and while Verlander has been dominant in 2022, I just don't see this guy wanting to come to New York. I mean, I'd love it, but I don't think the marriage is possible.

More names soon.  Stay tuned.

In the meantime, get to shopping. Great deals on the BYB store! Be sure to check it out. Requests are being taken as well, so let me know what you want made and I will do it!