The starting rotation was hardly the most obvious weakness on this New York Yankees squad at the trade deadline. They had to have a bat, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. provided them with one. They were in need of bullpen support, and Mark Leiter Jr. provided it. It wasn’t their first priority, but they did need assistance with starting pitches.
Even without Gerrit Cole for a large portion of the first half of the season, the Yankees’ rotation was among the best in the majors, but as the season has gone on, things have changed. They are just ahead of the 43-73 Miami Marlins and the 42-74 Colorado Rockies, who play half of their games at Coors Field, with a 5.49 ERA since June 1st, which is 28th in the majors.
Four of the Yankees’ five starters have an ERA over 5.00 since June 1. The lone exception, Luis Gil, with an ERA of 4.31 since June 1. Although there is cause for optimism that Gerrit Cole can turn around his season, there are legitimate worries about arms that have truly battled, such as Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes Jr., and Marcus Stroman. Among pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings during that time, Stroman has the fourth-highest ERA (6.32) since the beginning of June.
While it’s not as awful as it has been lately, the rotation is still not outstanding. If the right arm had been accessible, they could and ought to have added to it.
It was reported that the Yankees were looking to add starting pitching support. Not only did they back out of what looked like intense talks with Jack Flaherty (for a reason that some may understand), but they also decided not to sign Blake Snell for a reason that will be difficult for Yankees supporters to understand, according to Jon Heyman of the NY Post.
The Yankees are concerned that Snell may use his $30 million player option, which is why they did not pursue him hard. Really? Is it true that the Yankees, a financially flush team, refused to sign Snell due to a player option that, absent an injury, he probably wouldn’t even use?
The Yankees hope to be the team that signs Juan Soto, so that could be a factor in the situation, but is it really going to prevent them from taking a chance on a move that could help them win the World Series now? Their year with Soto is assured only this year. If the Giants were willing to give up Snell, they could have and should have added him.
It would have been more reasonable if the Yankees’ reluctance to sign Snell was due to his performance. Even though he was pitching better at the deadline, he had an ERA over 5.00 and had lost some time because of minor injuries.
Nevertheless, the Yankees must be regretting this in retrospect. Since returning from his spell on the disabled list, Snell has made six starts with a 1.15 ERA; three of the five earned runs he has given up have come in his most recent start. During those six starts, he has pitched a no-hitter and a 15-strikeout game.
Snell has demonstrated that, at his best, he is a genuine ace and Cy Young candidate. Though occasionally irritating due to his lack of command, he can be erratic, there is no denying his potential. Given how poorly the rest of the rotation has been pitching for a few months, Snell pitching at the level he is now in a Yankees uniform would have given the Yankees a lift they could really regret losing.
Okay, that makes sense if the Yankees were worried about Flaherty’s health. It makes no sense to worry about Snell exercising a player option, which he is unlikely to do without suffering an injury, when your team, the New York Yankees, is in position to win the World Series.
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