The New York Yankees’ pitching department remains in shambles just six weeks ahead of the spring training. The probable five-man rotation is lacking a piece. Moreover, the lack of urgency within the franchise’s top brass, especially after Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s failed pursuit, has sent waves of concerns to the passionate fanbase.
As it stands, bolstering the pitching department remains the New York Yankees’ top off-season priority. The team reportedly shortlisted a couple of candidates post-fallout with Yamamoto. Moreover, to reach a consensus on alternative options, the franchise leadership reportedly huddled up for a key meeting earlier this week.
Yankees Leadership Summoned At Tampa Amid Growing Concerns About Pitching Depth!
Randy Miller of NJ Media has shared a fresh update on the New York Yankees’ free agency shenanigans. He claims that franchise leadership was summoned to the team’s training facility in Tampa for a key meeting on Monday. Apparently, general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone attended the meeting with their respective aides and coaching staff. Moreover, owner Hal Steinbrenner also marked his presence virtually to sign off on any significant suggestion of Brian Cashman. Having said that, the inside details of the meeting remain unknown for now. But Randy Miller firmly believes that pitching options were actively discussed in the meeting. The leadership apparently has been feeling the heat to address the pitching woes as soon as possible, and the spring training deadline is only adding to the pressure.
Speaking of options, the New York Yankees have eyes on Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell as the duo remains the only remaining high-end free agents of the off-season. However, both pitchers have their own set of problems. While Montgomery does not want to let go of the past, Snell is not budging on his ambitious ask. Thus, the Yankee top brass is finding it hard to renegotiate terms with the two superstar pitchers. Besides, the Bronx Bombers have expressed sincere interest in trading Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox. But then again, the asking price remains steep. Additionally, Shane Bieber of Guardians is also available. But injury concerns continue to be a major point of concern with him. Thus, overall, the Yanks are going to have to settle with a candidate. It’s high time they find a middle ground and acquire a starting pitcher for the rotation before it’s too late.
Shota Imanaga Lands With The Chicago Cubs!
In other news, New York Yankees’ fallback option Shota Imanaga has agreed to a contract with the Chicago Cubs, pending the physicals. Several MLB insiders gathered information about the agreement and claimed that the deal could be $15 million per year over multiple seasons. Moreover, the deal contains various club and player options that can max out around $80 million.
Shota Imanaga, the NPB veteran, was once linked to the New York Yankees. However, rumors suggested that the Yanks did not consider his flyball pitch to be effective in Yankee Stadium. Thus, the franchise chose to seek opportunities elsewhere. Nonetheless, Imanaga has found his home in the USA. But the Bronx Bombers continue to wander in the free agent market.
