There are a lot of questions regarding what the New York Yankees have planned for their rotation, but not everybody is on board with what they’re scheming. They’re expected to roll with a rotation that subtracted Luis Severino and has added Marcus Stroman, and to some, that still isn’t enough. While we can’t truly know what the rotation will provide this season, there are legitimate reasons to both believe and doubt what the Yankees currently have, but Jim Bowden of The Athletic seems to have a more pessimistic view.
The Yankees need to add another reliable starter if they hope to make the playoffs and compete for a World Series championship.
Are the Yankees in Dire Need of Another Ace?
Jim Bowden didn’t mince his words regarding the Yankees and their rotation, although some projections view their pitching staff favorably. FanGraphs projects their starting five to have the sixth-best WAR (13.5) and eighth-best ERA (4.02) in 2024, but concerns about their health are legitimate. Nestor Cortes and Carlos Rodon have made huge strides early in Spring Training, displaying their normal velocities early in camp and showing that they’re well ahead of schedule. Still, they’ll need to prove themselves in the regular season to wash away the taste of an ugly 2023 season.
The two combined for just 26 starts last year after being All-Stars in 2022, and even when they did pitch it was to a combined 5.92 ERA, which certainly won’t cut it if the Yankees want to contend. Optimism that the two can improve is justified and valid, but health and progression aren’t always guaranteed. The Yankees’ sole addition to the rotation was Marcus Stroman, who made his second All-Star team last season but struggled in the second half due to hip injuries, a concern that will linger in 2024.
The free agent and trade markets still have a plethora of talented arms available if the Yankees want to upgrade, which all indications point to them being receptive to the idea. The cost is the issue, which is why Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell are still unsigned free agents in spite of their stellar 2023 seasons and the league’s acute need for starting pitchers. The Yankees were interested in both as well, but they decided to go with Stroman because of his lesser cost and—more importantly—his shorter financial commitment.
Dylan Cease has been linked to the Yankees plenty of times throughout the winter, and the team is still open to making a trade for him, however, that’s come with a massive caveat. Spencer Jones is being held out of any trade talks, as his unique power-speed combination has made him a consensus top-100 prospect in the game. He’s been doing plenty of work over the offseason to improve his ability to get the ball in the air more consistently, but arguably the most enticing skill in his profile is the excellent glove out in centerfield.
Nonetheless, the Chicago White Sox are not going to force themselves to trade the 2022 Cy Young runner-up for a package they deem insufficient, and they seem content holding onto him until the deadline. The Yankees could pivot to a guy like Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians, but they don’t feel overly inclined to trade him right now either. It isn’t impossible to strike a deal for the 2020 AL Cy Young winner, but the AL Central is wide-open and they could try to compete in the first half and revisit the conversation at the deadline.
The Yankees currently have enough to last them until July, so they won’t use up all of their trade and cash chips to acquire a starter before Opening Day. The Yankees have an amazing depth of players in the Minor Leagues; Chase Hampton and Will Warren have both made waves early in camp, while Luke Weaver, who spent an impressive (if brief) time with the team last September, has also grown on the squad. Not because the team couldn’t use an addition to their rotation; rather, it’s just that they aren’t in a position where they have to overpay in an attempt to be competitive.
