Entering this offseason, the New York Yankees had one major need above all else, starting pitching. They re-signed C.C. Sabathia after he opted out of his old deal. They brought back Freddy Garcia who pitched very well for the Yankees but seemed to fade down the stretch. They ignored the agents for C.J. Wilson, Mark Buehrle, Edwin Jackson, and passed on trades for John Danks and Gio Gonzalez. The Yankees even put it out there that they would eat some money if a team were to take A.J. Burnett off their hands. The Yankees have liked Hiroki Kuroda of the Dodgers for a few seasons now but have yet to pull the trigger on a one-year deal because there is no room on the payroll. They have also distanced themselves from Roy Oswalt, a high caliber pitcher when healthy, who is looking for a one-year deal. Why? Why would the Yankees suddenly become so tight-fisted when it comes to money?
The answer is simple. The luxury tax. The Yankees are sick of paying it. It isn't like this Yankee team is horrible, because it isn't. Remember, they finished 7 games ahead of Tamp in the AL East last season. There are a couple of obvious reasons outside of the money why the Yankees won't invest big dollars in a free agent, even if it is for one year. One reason is Alex Rodriguez. His contract is like a noose hanging around the neck of a condemned man, it is only a matter of time before it snaps the neck. What I mean is the Yankees WERE getting help from Texas to pay A-Rod's salary. Then A-Rod opted out and the Yankees went gaga for A-Rod and signed him to a ridiculous contract that will average about $27 million for the next SIX years! Considering A-Rod is 36 next year this is a big deal, especially when taking into account the fact that he hasn't been healthy. His MVP days are gone.
Another reason is Manny Banuelos, Hector Noesi, Dellin Betances, Adam Warren, David Phelps, Ivan Nova, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, and D.J. Mitchell. Some of those kids have yet to make a Major League appearance but can certainly battle for a rotation spot in the Spring. Others, like Hughes, and Chamberlain, are once highly regarding prospects. Chamberlain is included because the Yankees can take advantage of his injury and keep him in the minors rehabbing while he stretches his arm out to be a starter. Look, we can't judge Chamberlain's past performance on less than 230 innings pitched as a starter. Yes, he is very effective as a reliever. No, I don't like keeping an arm as rare as his in the bullpen unless it is Mariano Rivera-like. Chamberlain averaged over 9 strike outs per nine innings. That's not bad. If he had not walked as many as he did in his first true foray into starting we might not be having this debate because Joba would be the Yankees #3 starter right now. I know this has beaten into the dirt before but the Yankees don't need bullpen help, they need starting pitching. Joba is only 26 years-old and won't turn 27 until September of next year. He is coming off of Tommy John surgery and the Yankees could stretch his arm out easily during the rehab. They also might want to protect his arm long-term by not pitching him on consecutive days. With David Robertson stepping up the way he has and Rafael Soriano and his contract in the bullpen there is no need for Joba to be there. Joba could slide into a starting spot sometime in May or June and give the Yankees 150+ innings. Hey, it's an option. Otherwise, they hide Joba in the sixth inning.
You'll also notice that Ivan Nova and Phil Hughes made my list as well. Both are unproven but have had success in the past. Nova's came last year, Phil's two years ago when he won 18 games. Both are major cogs moving forward. Both should be able to hold down a rotation spot. Phil will turn 26 this season and Nova is going to be 25 next month. There is talent among those two and there is no reason why they can't build on past success. Signing a Kuroda only means the Yankees are throwing millions at a player who is 37 years-old and might not be as good as either Phil or Nova in the American League. These pitchers are still kids and there is no reason the Yankees should go out and spend millions on a problem that might not even be a problem moving forward.
Warren, Phelps, Noesi, and Mitchell represent the next crop of starting pitchers. None of them really project to top of the rotation starters but they have had success at every stop in the minor leagues. Can they get out Major League hitters? Who knows. we won't know until they try. Warren reminds me a little of Ian Kennedy in that he doesn't have overwhelming stuff but will get the job done. Kennedy can rack up the strikeouts, something Warren has not done but both have good breaking pitches, Warren just uses his to induce contact. Adam Warren can, and mark my words here, make the jump to the majors. The Yankees know what they have in the minor leagues. They know what these young kids are capable of. They are part of the reason the Yankees haven't gone crazy and signed a whole slew of pitchers this offseason.
Maybe the Yankees would have signed a Roy Oswalt or Mark Buehrle or C.J. Wilson or Yu Darvish if they didn't have all that money tied up in A-Rod, Soriano, and Burnett. Maybe they would have signed Prince Fielder if they didn't give a huge contract to Mark Teixeira. The fact is the Yankees did give out those contracts. They gave Derek Jeter a huge contract last offseason given his previous year's performance and his age. If you noticed last season, the Yankees played hardball with Jeter and Jeter eventually signed a contract that was good for both sides given the circumstances. The Yankees let Hideki Matsui, the 2009 World Series MVP walk after the 2009 season. The Yankees let Jorge Posada walk after this past season. These are not the Yankees of George Steinbrenner. These are the Hal Steinbrenner Yankees, led by Brian Cashman. Hal learned the hard way last year what happens when Brian Cashman is forced into signing a player like what happened with Rafael Soriano. Hal and his boys were wrong and Cashman was right. Cashman re-signed this year because he knows he is in charge now. He knows what the plan is. He has a plan. The Yankees will be getting younger and cheaper. Sure, they will be stuck paying A-Rod, Jeter, Tex, and Sabathia for over $20 million per player per year for the next three to six years. But, little by little the money will start to come off the books. Little by little, guys like Jesus Montero, Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, Adam Warren, Mason Williams, Gary Sanchez, Austin Romine, and on will get their shot wearing pinstripes.
Yankee fans have grown accustomed to going out and fixing any hole with money. The 2009 World Series was won that way. the Yankees threw money at C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira. They went on to win the World Series. These Yankees don't operate like that anymore. Think back to 1996. I know it seems like forever ago but you can remember, I'll give you a second. You remember 1996 now? Derek Jeter, the rookie shortstop? Mariano Rivera the flame-throwing second year reliever? Jorge Posada the young catcher who got his first taste of the Majors? Andy Pettitte, the second year starter who blossomed into an ace? Would the Yankees have won any World Series titles if they didn't develop those players? Maybe one, no more than that. OK, now think back to 2005. The Yankees second baseman going into that season was Tony Womack, the free agent acquisition who was supposed to take over the leadoff spot for the Yanks and play second. Well, let me tell you how that turned out, Robinson Cano played 132 games at second that year. Womack was banished to left field and gone from the team after the season, and out of baseball the year after that. Robinson Cano was mentioned in trade talks but Cashman didn't budge. Another Yankee came up in 2005 that had a few good years before getting bitten by the injury bug, Chien Ming Wang. He won 19 games twice for the Yankees before injuries got the better of him.
My point is, some of the best Yankees weren't bought, they were developed. This is why I am glad the Yankees trade for Cliff Lee with the Mariners fell through. Jesus Montero for ten to fifteen years is more valuable than Cliff Lee for five. Granted, not every prospect becomes a great Major Leaguer. For every Robinson Cano there is a Ruben Rivera, Drew Henson, and Ed Yarnall. However, these kids don't cost as much as the A.J. Burnett's, A-Rod's, and on down the line. The way the Yankees are currently being run is the way they should be run. There may not be a World Series win in the immediate future but a few years down the line there will be a few, mark my words. The Yankees are rebuilding without tearing themselves apart. They will make the playoffs but they might not go far. I can deal with that while I watch Jesus Montero develop, Robbie Cano mature into a force, and Mason Williams and Dante Bichette, Jr. climb the ladder in the minors. I can deal with watching Banuelos and Betances struggle if in the long run they realize their potential. I can watch Joba pitch every five days and give the Yankees a solid performance if that's what happens. I can deal with the growing pains of Nova, Hughes, and Montero. Welcome to the new New York Yankees.
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