The New York Yankees would need a solid pitcher for their bullpen at present. It is because things are different in the current offseason. During the 2023 season, the 27-time champions had a pretty full and balanced bullpen. However, it did not help them make the postseason in 2023. Moreover, the NY Yankees were able to seal certain promising deals like Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo this offseason. Clearly, Soto is the best player the Bronx Bombers could land this offseason. But it was not a cheap deal to seal. The Yankees had to sacrifice a lot of depth in their bullpen to secure these outfielders. As a result, the Pinstripes at present need to cover the void created in their pitching department.
The NY side needs some quality pitchers right away. However, none more important than the Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto. He is another top international free agent at present. Albeit, the Yankees are favorites to land him, there are many more competitors who are looking to land the Japanese. Hence, the Pinstripes may even be looking at a backup plan. They might be thinking about a reunion with Jordan Montgomery. Anyway, with or without Yamamoto, the 27-time champions should look for Montgomery and other pitchers to land this offseason. However, the Yankees will get stiff competition from their arch-rivals.
Yankees Will Fight Red Sox For Jordan Montgomery
Clearly, the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox need a starting pitcher in case they both miss out Yoshinobu Yamamoto. However, in the Bronx, they need more pitchers to stabilize their bullpen. Hence, it might not stop them from looking for pitchers even if they secure Yamamoto. On Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Yankees would jump on the opportunity to get back Montgomery in case the Yamamoto deal doesn’t go as planned. They need one more starter, and the lefty free agent is perfect for a reunion. On the other hand, the Red Sox might find Montgomery most important over other stateside pitchers available in the market.
If they, too fail to land Yamamoto, then they would pursue the World Series winner anyway. During his time with St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers, in 188 2/3 innings, Montgomery posted 1.19 WHIP, 3.20 ERA, .247 batting average against. Also, he posted a ratio of 166 to 48 strikeouts to walk. Montgomery is the most consistent option for a top starter available at present. Hence, the Yankees and the Red Sox might go on a bidding war for him.
Dillon Lawson Joins Red Sox As Hitting Coordinator
Recently, former hitting coach of the Yankees, Dillon Lawson, joined the Red Sox as a hitting coordinator. Lawson told The Athletic that his job is to focus on the upper level of the minor league players. Moreover, the NY side fell short because of a weak offense in 2023. They had the second-worst batting average in the league after only the Oakland Athletics.
But what bothered the fans and the organization more was their record of 82-80 in 2023. It made their season one of the worst in the last 30 years. Hence, the Yankees needed to make significant changes. For that, they needed to land some high-profile lefty outfielders. After a long wait, they finally got some deals they wanted to seal.