Jordan Montgomery’s injury will push Yankees into trade market
The New York Yankees’ pitching outlook just got worse. Jordan Montgomery’s serious injury will push the team to acquire a starter via trade.
Yankees fans hoping that Jordan Montgomery could come back and stabilize the starting rotation are set to be seriously disappointed. The news that the talented southpaw will undergo Tommy John surgery this week takes him out of the equation for all of 2018 and part of 2019. Now the Yankees will almost certainly be forced to acquire another starting pitcher via trade.
The team originally put Montgomery on the DL with a strained flexor in his pitching elbow in early May. Apparently his arm never recovered properly. Now he’s slated to go under the knife on Thursday with legendary doctor James Andrews. Coming back from TJ surgery isn’t the death sentence it used to be for pitchers, but it’s still going to take a long recovery period for Montgomery.
Domingo German is currently filling Montgomery’s spot in the rotation but his lack of a third pitch makes him better suited for a bullpen role. He’s got excellent stuff, but he struggles to get through quality lineups the second and third time around. Even if you believe he’s a quality fifth starter, there are other question marks in Aaron Boone’s rotation.
Outside of Luis Severino there isn’t a starter the Yankees can really count on. CC Sabathia has enjoyed a decent season but his stuff isn’t nearly what it used to be. He has to rely entirely too much on soft stuff to get hitters out. That tends to be a serious liability in the postseason.
Masahiro Tanaka and Sonny Gray have both been inconsistent at best. Each player is capable of putting a high quality start or two together, but they’re also capable of getting shelled. Neither would inspire real confidence in a meaningful late-season matchup.
That makes it imperative for Brian Cashman to make a deal for at least one more starting pitcher before the trade deadline. It isn’t a move the Yankees need to rush to make immediately, but they should be engaging multiple teams in discussions already.
Fortunately, the farm system has enough ammunition to secure a quality starter. The team’s got plenty of prospects and more than a few fringe regulars that could be included in a deal. The real question is whether or not Cashman and company really want to part with any premium prospects for anything other than an all-star.
Next: 5 starting pitchers the Yankees can target via trade
The bottom line is the Yankees have to add some quality starting pitching to prepare them to make a run in October. If they don’t, the rotation will be what costs them a chance at another World Series title. Jordan Montgomery’s recent injury only magnifies what was already a need for the club.