Fansided

Yankees news: 3 best moves of the offseason so far

By Rucker Haringey

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 14: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) DJ LeMahieu #26 of the New York Yankees in action against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on August 14, 2020 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Red Sox 10-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 14: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) DJ LeMahieu #26 of the New York Yankees in action against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on August 14, 2020 in New York City. The Yankees defeated the Red Sox 10-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Jameson Taillon, New York Yankees
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – MAY 01: Jameson Taillon #50 of the Pittsburgh Pirates at Globe Life Park in Arlington on May 01, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) /

2. Trading for Jameson Taillon

Signing Corey Kluber in free agency generated more headlines in New York, but Taillon actually stands a better chance of being the team’s No. 2 starter behind Gerrit Cole this season. If Taillon can stay healthy, he can give New York a fringe ace to deploy at the top of their rotation.

Health is clearly a concern for Taillon after elbow surgery caused him to miss the entire 2020 campaign. The upside is that the former Pirates’ starter now projects to be ready to go when Spring Training begins.

That checkered injury past allowed the Yankees to acquire Taillon without giving Pittsburgh too much in return. New York avoided giving up a single premium prospect in the deal. The Pirates, instead, were content to receive several low-profile prospects with a chance to develop into major leaguers if everything breaks right in time.

If Taillon can stay moderately healthy in 2021 this will turn out to be larceny by Cashman and his front office. Taillon may not profile as a legitimate ace, but New York will be overjoyed if he can pitch to his career ERA of 3.67 as a regular member of their starting rotation. The fact that he possesses the high-end stuff required to succeed in the postseason is a notable bonus for his value to the Yankees as well.

Home/New York Yankees