The New York Yankees, ahead of the opening day, left the fans guessing about the much-anticipated trade to strengthen the pitching staff.
Bronx Bombers officially commenced their 2023 MLB campaign on Thursday with a cruising 5-0 victory over San Francisco Giants. The team put up a collective effort, with Gerrit Cole handling most of the pitching duties. He recorded his fourth consecutive start for the Yanks and slammed a new opening-day record with 11 strikeouts in six shutout innings.
After 95 prolonged pitches, the ace had to be pulled out to avoid any fatigue. Wandy Peralta, Jonathan Loaisiga, and Ron Marinaccio took over for the next three innings but failed to impress. Despite Cole’s impressive stats, the Yankees clearly missed the existence of a quality depth. Not every day, Gerrit is likely to last six innings and put up consistent numbers. Hence, the Bombers need a fresh face in the bullpen.
Yankees Sign Colten Brewer From The Tampa Rays In Exchange For Cash
Ahead of the opening day, Aaron Boone, the New York Yankees skipper, dropped a hint of potential ongoing trade negotiations to acquire a fresh face in the arms bullpen. While the fans stayed on edge with much anticipation, the Yanks doused the excitement with a strange acquisition. After the conclusion of the season opener, the Yankees officially signed RHP Colten Brewer from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash consideration.
Colten Brewer, who is 30 years old, has played for three different teams over the past four seasons. In 81 career appearances, he has a 5.04 ERA and 88 strikeouts in 91 innings pitched. While he had shown some potential in the past, particularly in 2019 when he posted a 4.12 ERA in 58 games with the Boston Red Sox, his overall performance has been mediocre at best. Hence, the addition does make much sense at this point. The Yankees need a strong starter who could assist Gerrit Cole in the rotation. Almost 2/3rd of the bullpen strength is sitting on the injury list at the moment, and hence acquiring a low-ranked Colten does not look like a wise choice.
Fans Unhappy Over Bombers Latest Pitching Acquisition
Meanwhile, the Yankee fans, who unanimously raised their voice for a pitching trade, finally breathed a sigh of relief when Aaron Boone hinted at an upcoming trade deal. However, the bubble burst in a matter of hours as the New York Yankees signed a pitcher named Colten Brewer with less than 100 appearances in the major league. They refuse to accept Brewer as a possible replacement for the likes of Carlos Rodon and Luis Severino.
While the acquisition is certainly baffling, the fans have to come to terms with the reality. At this stage of the tournament, the options in the free agency as well as the trade window, are minimal. Hence, the Yankees have to settle with whatever they deem is the best fit for the team and pray for the speedy recovery of their regular starters.
