The Yankees’ Biggest Regret at the MLB Offseason’s 2-Month Mark
December 22, 2014 · Gary Phillips · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
With some time having gone by and the New Year almost upon us, it has been a strange offseason thus far for the New York Yankees.
They have not been quiet, signing free-agent reliever Andrew Miller and re-signing third baseman Chase Headley. They also traded for shortstop Didi Gregorius and starter Nathan Eovaldi in an attempt to get younger. They let both David Robertson and Brandon McCarthy walk, choosing to not even offer them contracts.
In surprising Yankees fashion, the team has yet to make a big splash, passing on all of the market’s big names up to this point. That includes coveted starter Max Scherzer, who remains a free agent. In the end, the Yankees’ biggest regret may be passing on him when they could have added an ace to their staff.
The Yankees have been linked to Scherzer throughout the offseason, but nothing has yet to materialize. From the sound of things, nothing probably will. Without mentioning Scherzer by name, team president Randy Levine explained that The Bronx Bombers were unwilling to make any expensive additions.
“The chances of us bringing in a guy for six (years) and $25 million or over in my opinion is virtually none,” Levine said at a presser to announce a broadcast deal between the YES Network and the New York Football Club. “At the end of the day you have to be realistic in any organization.”
Scherzer is looking for a guaranteed $200 million after turning down a $144 million extension from the Detroit Tigers last spring training. The righty has gone 39-8 the last two seasons, putting up a 3.02 ERA and 492 strikeouts over 434.2 innings in that span.
The guy is a gamer and would give the Yankees rotation a much needed boost. He would also be the third pitcher in that rotation making at least $20 million in 2015, assuming he sticks close to his current asking price. Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabathia are slated to make $22 million and $23 million, respectively.
Even with “Mad “Max’s” astronomical asking price, the Yankees could end up remorseful if they do in fact pass on Scherzer.
The Yankees rotation will have plenty of question marks in 2015, with Tanaka, Sabathia, Michael Pineda and Ivan Nova all injury risks. Eovaldi, whom the Yankees had to give up Martin Prado and David Phelps for, is electric but erratic as well. He struggled mightily in 2014. Then there is Chris Capuano, who the Yankees also re-signed, but he should be nothing more than a spot starter if and when others are healthy.
The Yankees used 13 starting pitchers in 2014, with only Hiroki Kuroda making more than 20 starts. He had 32 and and likely will not be back next year. With McCarthy and Shane Greene gone (he was traded for Gregorius), the Yankees are quite low on reliable, durable pitchers.
Scherzer is both of those things—and dominant too.
It is hard to imagine money being a limiting factor for the Yankees, but right now that seems to be the case. It does not look like this is a negotiation tactic or a ploy either—New York seems serious about not spending big.
In the end, they could regret it.
All stats were obtained via Baseball-Reference.com.
Question or comments? Feel free to follow me on Twitter @GPhillips2727 to talk New York Yankees and Major League Baseball.
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