Breaking: Yankees set to reinforce starting rotation with easy prove-it deal
The New York Yankees are focused on the primary names available via the free-agent market, but they still need to round out the bottom half of the starting rotation.
While Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still high on their wish list and would be a phenomenal addition as a top three arm on the team, the Bombers are considering bringing back Frankie Montas on a one-year prove-it deal.
Luis Severino recently signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the New York Mets, but with Montas pitching just 1.1 innings this past season after rehabilitating from shoulder surgery, it is safe to say he will likely come in at a slightly lower price. Most have Montas in the $10 million range for one year, a solid deal given he’s only one year removed from pitching 144.1 innings and recording a 4.05 ERA collectively and 3.18 ERA with the Oakland Athletics before being traded to the Yankees.
The Yankees Can Still Get Exceptional Value From Frankie Montas
Montas had been an ace for Oakland for several years, pitching 187 innings during the 2021 season, recording a 3.37 ERA, 3.78 FIP, a 70.9 left-on-base rate, and a 45.6% ground ball rate. Even though general manager Brian Cashman stated that Montas’ medical evaluation came back clean prior to the trade, he immediately went down due to a shoulder injury, and the player himself indicated he was hurt when the Yankees acquired him.
A rotation that includes Garrett Cole, Carlos Rodon, Yamamoto, Nestor Cortes, Clarke Schmidt, Michael King, and Montas would be solid. Of course, there are some cautions. Notably, Schmidt taking a step forward, King pitching over 100 innings for a second consecutive season, and Montas’ reconstructed shoulder following surgery last off-season.
The Yankees know that they need to reinforce the rotation and need more bats in the lineup to boost their offensive production. However, Montas has fantastic upside at such a reasonable cost, and having already lost Severino and Domingo German, it is safe to say the Yankees need value at a cost-efficient price.
Yankees heavily linked to these 2 star players according to YES Network insider
With Jack Curry and the YES Network crew making their first appearance on their show ‘Hot Stove’, there’s plenty of optimism that the Yankees and Padres could get back on track in trade talks. Following reports that the Yankees and Padres saw talks stall when San Diego demanded a seven-player package headlined by Michael King, Drew Thorpe, and Clarke Schmidt. With the Winter Meetings underway, the two sides are expected to re-engage in conversations, and Jack Curry seemed extremely optimistic that the two sides are working through negotiations.
Not only did Curry mention that “these two sides will make their way back to each other” but he also mentioned that it’s a move that the Yankees “know they need to make”, which would indicate that the Yankees are highly motivated to bring in the left-handed superstar.
Yankees Looking to Make a Splash Move This Winter
The Yankees want Juan Soto, and while that’s been made apparent by their trade interest in him, the fact that Jack Curry is on YES Network seconding those talking points only adds more fuel to the fire. San Diego wants pitching, and that pitching is something the Yankees have plenty of, especially in their Minor League system. Names like Drew Thorpe, Chase Hampton, Will Warren, or Clayton Beeter entice the Padres into making a deal, alongside some of the Yankees’ big-league talent.
Michael King has become a hot commodity in talks as the Yankees have been reluctant to hand over King alongside six other players, and it seems that the two sides could narrow that number of players to a four or five player package. Clarke Schmidt, who was second on the team in starts and innings pitched, could also whet the Padres’ appetite, as they’re set to lose nearly 600 innings worth of volume in free agency. Furthermore, depth arms like Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito could sweeten the pot on a deal, and the Yankees would be taking on $30 million in salary with Soto.
All of the focus in New York is on Juan Soto, but Jack Curry added that the team “highly desires” RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto as well.
It seems that the Bronx Bombers are heavily into Yamamoto, which has been made clear by multiple reporters, but as the sweepstakes for the 25-year-old ace kick-off, it becomes even more apparent. The Yankees want to make a splash this winter, and adding an arm with a 1.44 ERA and three MVPs in their last three seasons pitched in Japan would certainly help. Jack Curry mentioned that Hideki Matsui, 2009 World Series MVP, could play a role in meetings, as the Yankees try to swoon the right-hander over to the Bronx.
Yamamoto wants the spotlight and seems to be intrigued by pitching for the Yankees due to their global recognition. It doesn’t hurt that the Yankees also have a strong reputation for improving pitch mixes and have multiple players represented by Joel Wolfe, who is Yamamoto’s agent. The allure of the pinstripes could give the Yankees an edge here, but they’ll have to fend off suitors including the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Boston Red Sox, and crosstown rival New York Mets.
The Yankees are aware that their 2023 season was a disaster, and as Jack Curry indicated in his segment, they know they have to do something big to get back in the good graces of their fanbase.
