MLB Trade Rumors: Yankees Capable Of Trading For Cole Hamels, Felix Hernandez In July, Reports ‘FanRag’
The New York Yankees, already blessed with a troika of superb pitchers, can still add another high-impact pitcher to an already vaunted rotation. According to FanRag Sports baseball writer John Heyman, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has positioned his team as a viable landing spot for several elite pitchers at the trade deadline.
Never mind their star-studded batting corps, the Yankees have one of the best starting rotations in American League with Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, and Luis Severino leading the charge on the mound. The Yankees already possess enough firepower to clinch a playoff spot with their current lineup, but the team is aiming for a bigger goal this season after narrowly missing a trip to the World Series last year.
Cashman pulled off a quintessential Yankees move this offseason by trading for National League MVP Giancarlo Stanton. Everybody expected the team to make more big-money moves, but their last few transactions were designed either to go under the salary cap or empower youth movement within the Yankees’ farm system.
However, Heyman’s report indicates that the Yankees aren’t veering away from their identity as big spenders. As a matter of fact, New York is just preparing for an incredibly robust market for pitchers at the trade deadline.
“People who have spoken to the Yankees believe they are saving their pennies for a big pitching push at the deadline. They still are an estimated $12-17 million under the threshold, which should give them enough money for a big pitcher.”
Joe Giglio of New Jersey Advanced Media noted that the financial flexibility the Yankees are currently enjoying will come in handy once Cole Hamels, Felix Hernandez, Madison Bumgarner, and other big-name pitchers hit the trade market around July.
While there’s a chance for the Yankees to stay put with their current rotation and perhaps hope for another in-house prospect to step up, this team is very much aware that they will need the service of another big-arm to reach the promise land in September.
Even Cashman admitted in recent interviews that he’s willing to shell out more cash if there’s an opportunity to boost up their starting rotation. Right now, the Yankees’ pitching and batting look strong out of the gates, but injuries to key players have once again provided a challenge for this title-contending team early in the season.
Only time will tell when Cashman strikes another blockbuster move in the trade market, yet one thing is for sure, the Yankees’ financial situation makes them once again the envy of 29 other teams in MLB.
