It’s becoming abundantly clear that the New York Yankees are in desperate need of starting pitching.
Outside Luis Severino, who is quickly developing into one of the finest pitchers in the American League, the Yankees have received inconsistent performances or absolutely nothing from the likes of Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, CC Sabathia and Domingo German, filling in for the injured Jordan Montgomery.
All Yankees starters not named Severino are 13-10 this season with a 4.64 ERA.
That’s not going to cut it for a legitimate World Series contender, regardless of how good the offense is (it’s ranked first in baseball).
Unlike other professional baseball teams in New York, the Yankees will address glaring team needs with the best possible option, which means they are all but guaranteed to be active on the trade market leading up to the league’s July 31 trade deadline.
Entrenched in what is expected to be a titanic battle for the American League East with the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees don’t have much time to waste, either. Here are three possible arms they could pursue on the trade market:
Cole Hamels
Hamels’ name has been linked with the Yankees for the past few years now considering the veteran is wasting away with the struggling Texas Rangers.
Despite a 3-5 record with a 3.74 ERA, which looks mediocre on paper, Hamels has been pitching extremely well as of late against some good teams. In four starts against the Yankees, Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros, the 34-year-old went 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA, which could only help the rotation of a team poised to make a deep playoff run.
Earning $23 million this season, Hamels has a $20 million club option for next season, which comes with a $6 million buyout. With his salary expected to be halved by the trade deadline, he could be viewed as a prime rental.
Chris Archer
The Tampa Bay Rays ace has not been good this season. At 3-3 with a 4.29 ERA, his trade value has taken a sizeable hit this season, which won’t do the Rays any favors considering they’ve seemingly dangled his name in trade talks for years now.
But with the team hovering around .500 this year in a loaded AL East, the Rays might be keen on trying to deal their starter to usher in a new era and a change of scenery, especially to a contender like the Yankees, could be just what Archer needs.
Jacob deGrom
While this is an idea that would make any Mets fan sick to his or her stomach, deGrom would give the Yankees a fearsome 1-2 punch alongside Severino.
The 29-year-old leads the National League with a 1.52 ERA despite his team struggling to compete in the National League East. With the Mets possibly having to deal with the harsh reality of yet another rebuild, deGrom could call for some of the Yankees’ best prospects like outfielder Clint Frazier and pitcher Justus Sheffield considering he’s under team control through the 2020 season.
