New York Yankees: 3 former players we need to come back to the Bronx

2. James Paxton

The Yankees have made major changes to their rotation this offseason, adding Corey Kluber and Jamison Taillon to a rotation that has ace Gerritt Cole and a returning Domingo German and Luis Severino. On paper, this rotation is stacked. However, there’s one major issue. Four of these starters have very minimal work over the past year.

Severino and Taillon are both coming off Tommy John Surgery. They might not even be ready to go on day one. German is coming off a suspension for a terrible domestic violence charge. Putting him in the rotation comes with a ton of baggage, and the Yankees might eventually just cut bait. Kluber has been injured for two seasons straight, and when he did pitch he wasn’t exactly putting out Cy Young stuff. So, like last year, it looks like the Yankees will still have to lean on Deivi Garcia and Jordan Montgomery when Cole isn’t pitching.

However, they can look at someone who appeared to be a sunk cost and give him a shot. James Paxton was good in his first season in New York. The Yankees traded prized pitching prospect, Justus Sheffield, for him. Sheffield looks really good in Seattle, and now Big Maple looks like his Yankees career is already over.

It doesn’t have to be. Paxton was injured last season, his mechanics were off, and something just didn’t click. It was a strange year for everyone, so maybe he deserves a pass. He never had an ERA in his career over 4.00. Now he’s supposedly this pitcher with an ERA well over 6? It doesn’t add up, and the Yankees should recognize that. Give him one last shot to add depth to a rotation with a ton of question marks.