Things are certainly peachy in the Bronx after Giancarlo Stanton was officially introduced as a member of the New York Yankees on Monday. But with the MLB Winter Meetings in full swing, the Yankees are not just resting on their laurels on the heels of a mammoth trade.
There are still glaring needs that need to be addressed.
One of them is the starting rotation, a unit that could use an injection of depth and some more young talent considering the state it’s in right now.
Luis Severino is the undisputed ace after his coming-out party in 2017. The 23-year-old went 14-6 with a 2.98 ERA while garnering his first-ever All-Star appearance. He also finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting.
Masahiro Tanaka was able to find his stuff despite an inconsistent 2017 season and the acquisition of Sonny Gray at the trade deadline got the Yankees a left-handed top-end arm that could support Severino.
But CC Sabathia is in danger of leaving in free agency as he is being pursued by the Los Angeles Angels and the team just dealt Bryan Mitchell, along with Chase Headley, to the San Diego Padres for right fielder Jabari Blash. The 26-year-old Mitchell was viewed as a contender for the No. 5 spot in the rotation.
The Yankees do have Jordan Montgomery, who performed admirably during his rookie season, going 9-7 with a 3.88 ERA in 29 starts, but the team has set its sights on some larger targets.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Yankees are in the market for a young starter and the two names that have emerged in early talks are Detroit Tigers ace Michael Fulmer and Patrick Corbin of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Fulmer, a former Mets prospect who was dealt to Detroit for Yoenis Cespedes, won the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year and made his first All-Star Game last season. Over his first two years in the majors, the 24-year-old is 21-19 with a 3.45 ERA on a Tigers team that is in full rebuild mode.
Corbin provides a more veteran option, though he is just 28 years old. However, he has been more inconsistent during his five-year career with a 47-49 career record.
He had one of his better seasons in 2017 on an up-and-coming Diamondbacks squad, going 14-13 with a 4.03 ERA. Granted, if he were not left-handed, the Yankees interest in him might not be as strong. But they have to get another lefty in that rotation, should Montgomery be included, now that Mitchell is gone and Sabathia could be next.
