The New York Yankees made possibly the biggest splash in MLB this off-season, trading for Giancarlo Stanton, but have remained relatively silent since.
Despite the New York Yankees’ recent reticence, Jon Morosi of MLB.com put out a report Sunday morning saying that the Yankees and starting pitcher Lance Lynn have “been in contact” since the start of the off-season. Morosi implied that with the Yankees trading for 3rd baseman Brandon Drury from the Diamondbacks, they have the cash to spend on a guy like Lynn.
Morosi said the Yankees have about $25 million of a cushion between their payroll and the $197 luxury-tax threshold. The Yankees front of the rotation is solid with Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, and Sonny Gray, but the depth is a little unsettling.
Veteran C.C. Sabathia is still in New York and is coming off a solid 2017 season, posting a 3.69 ERA in 148.2 IP. They also have Jordan Montgomery, who surprised last season with a 3.88 ERA in 155.1 IP for the Yankees last season, but adding Lynn would give New York another veteran arm to rely on.
Plus, it would allow the Yankees to let Montgomery develop further as he enters his age-25 season. Lynn, who is coming off Tommy John surgery, put up okay numbers in 2017, finishing with a 3.43 ERA in 186.1 IP. But, many are skeptical Lynn can reproduce another season like 2017. With 4.82 FIP and a plummeting strikeout rate the 30-year-old would be best served as a back-end starter at this point in his career.
However, Aaron Boone did throw some water on the hot stove in regards to starters like Lynn or Alex Cobb.
Aaron Boone was asked about the chances of pitchers like Alex Cobb or Lance Lynn joining the rotation.
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) February 25, 2018
“At this point I don’t see those guys as realistic options ... it’s my understanding that those guys aren’t really in play for us.”
Sliding into the fifth spot in the Yankees rotation makes a lot of sense for Lynn, and while fans would rather see a trade for Chris Archer, this deal solves all the team’s issue while fitting into their budget.
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Plus, if the Yankees do need a starter, signing Lynn likely still gives GM Brian Cashman some wiggle room to make a deadline deal in July. This would be a win-win deal for both Lynn and the Yankees. However, the Twins are still lurking in the shadows for a pitcher like Lynn or maybe Cobb, still plenty of options for starters as we wrap up the first weekend of spring training.