The New York Yankees acquired Brandon McCarthy in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the hopes that the right-handed starting pitcher could help prop up a beat-up starting rotation for a possible run to the playoffs.
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What he has done in an admittedly small sample size is likely above and beyond anything that the Yankees were hoping for. Through six starts McCarthy is 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA. Many had argued that the tall righty was the victim of some bad luck in Arizona where he posted a 3-10 record to go along with a 5.01 ERA. If he keeps up these good results in New York, those folks will look pretty smart.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that the Yankees will take a serious look at trying to sign McCarthy when he hits free agency at season’s end:
"You might have heard, Masahiro Tanaka might need Tommy John surgery … and Ivan Nova already had it … and CC Sabathia needed knee surgery and his career is in peril … and Michael Pineda is following the Teixeira fragility model.So all the reasons why the Yankees stole McCarthy from Arizona are why they would want him for stability or more in 2015."
Sherman also notes that McCarthy has proven himself worthy of dealing with the pressure and the hype of pitching in New York and all the media coverage that comes with it, which will be no small consideration. As one of a series of potential moves, it looks like this would be a solid one as the Yankees try to put back together their starting rotation this off-season.