The New York Yankees have done very little this offseason—no blockbuster trades, no scandals. It has been pretty low key.
That is, until now.
It’s apparent that the Yankees are indeed looking to build upon a rotation that boasts CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova. With the trade for Michael Pineda, they now have a formidable rotation that could showcase three No. 1 starters.
Giving up their prized catching prospect, Jesus Montero, is risky, but the AL East is not the dominant force it once was, and with the addition of Pineda, the Bronx Bombers might have won the first battle of the season.
The Boston Red Sox still have the most dominant batting order in the AL, or maybe even baseball, although their pitching is rather suspect. And the Tampa Bay Rays will more than likely pull another rabbit out of their hat to stay amongst the elite.
The Toronto Blue Jays, who have been rumoured to have the OK to spend some big money this year, have added some stability to an already good bullpen (Sergio Santos, Darren Oliver and Jason Frasor), but nothing compared to what the fans have expected. The Orioles are the Orioles. To their credit, they have improved and are still a few years away from contending in this ultra-competitive division.
On the other hand, the Yankees core is getting older. Alex Rodriguez is nowhere near the force he was, even compared to three years ago. Captain Derek Jeter has maybe two years left before he rides off into the sunset. Mark Teixeira, still a huge power threat, is transforming into Jason Giambi before our eyes.
Tex can still drop the long ball with the best of them, and even though he is a huge piece to the Yankees’ firepower, his average has dropped significantly for three consecutive years, and what is very alarming is his OPS has decreased every year since 2007.
What the Yankees need to do is start a rebuilding process. Nothing alarming, just piece by strategic piece. Even in the worst of times New York will always be a threat and despite giving up Montero, bolstered a starting rotation that lacks depth on the back end.
The infield is already in the process with Eduardo Nunez, Ramiro Pena and Brandon Laird seeing their share of playing time. And the bullpen has seen the emergence of David Robertson and Cory Wade step it up in crunch time.
There is inherent risk with trading Montero, but the Yankees are very deep at the catcher position. Francisco Cervelli is developing into a dynamic piece of the puzzle, a spark plug who can give the Yankees the sort of pickup that Nick Swisher provides. And Gaby Sanchez is another diamond in the rough the Yankees have waiting in the wings, rated as the No. 4 prospect in the Yankees organization.
This deal for Pineda is actually a lot better than I originally thought.
Standing 6’7″ and weighing 260 pounds, he is a dominant figure on the mound, and with a fastball that tops out at 95-mph, the 22-year-old has a chance to become a leader in this rotation really quick. Phenomenal first-year statistics might come second to what might be even better news.
Pineda can become No. 2 in the rotation by the All-Star break, and according the USA Today’s Daily Pitch, “What’s more, it gives the Yankees a rare high-impact performer under club control for several years. Pineda, who made $414,000 last season, will not be eligible for free agency until 2017.”
The wheels are in motion. The Yankees’ preparation for the future begins today.
Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective
Devon is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals and Gateway Grizzlies, and is now an independent scout.
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