Jonathan Loaisiga did a nice job in his brief stint with the Yankees, but Brian Cashman should consider flipping him for a more established starter.
The Yankees desire to add an established starting pitcher ahead of the trade deadline will require the club to give up a player they value. It’s very possible Jonathan Loaisiga may be the piece that gets a deal done for Brian Cashman.
The young Nicaraguan acquitted himself very well during his time with the big league club. He made four starts in place of Masahiro Tanaka and managed to go 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA. The Yankees’ brain trust elected to send him down after his last start in an effort to manage his workload. He isn’t stretched out enough to handle the number of innings required to be a starter all season long.
His lack of readiness isn’t the reason the Yankees might consider parting with him though. Instead, it’s Loaisiga’s lack of an out pitch. When you watch him pitch it’s clear he’s got a live arm. Loaisiga can run the fastball up there in the mid-90s pretty comfortably. Considering his age and slight frame, it’s possible his velocity could even increase as he grows into his body.
Despite the velocity, Loaisiga’s fastball is a little too straight. That doesn’t make it a below-average pitch, but it does mean good major league hitters can square it up and hit it with authority. Unless he’s able to develop a two-seamer with a little more movement, his fastball is never going to play all the way up to its velocity.
What Loaisiga really doesn’t have at this point, is an above-average off speed pitch. He does a great job of commanding all of his pitches, but his breaking ball just doesn’t fool major league hitters. In particular, his last start against the Braves showed how good hitters can hit his off speed pitches hard even when they’re located down, outside the zone. Again, it’s possible he can improve his off speed repertoire as he ages, but that’s not a certainty.
Ultimately, it’s Loaisiga’s lack of upside that makes him expendable. That doesn’t mean Cashman is going to give him away. But dealing him might be preferable to moving someone like Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield or Brandon Drury. The Yankees may be able to convince another team that Loaisiga has more upside than any of their more established commodities. If they can do that, it’s possible Loaisiga could be moved in a one-for-one deal for an older, more established starting pitcher.
It might be a stretch, but Loaisiga could at least be the centerpiece for a deal for someone like J.A. Happ, Danny Duffy or Michael Fulmer. Acquiring a young starter with multiple years of control is an attractive proposition for teams trying to rebuild. It’s reasonable to think another team might think they can slot Loaisiga into their rotation for years to come based on this year’s cameo with the Yankees.
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Expect Brian Cashman to consider a lot of options ahead of this year’s trade deadline. The idea of giving up Loaisiga may seem painful, but acquiring a starting pitcher capable of making a difference in the playoffs isn’t going to be a painless transaction. Selling high on Loaisiga may be the best way for the Yankees to get the pitching boost they need.