Pitching, Pitching, Pitching?

We heard it throughout the beginning of the offseason - Brian Cashman would be targeting "pitching, pitching, pitching" in trades and during free agency. But with relatively cheap and short term options available in free agency, what's going on with Cashman's offseason plan?

Over at the Yankee Analysts, Matt Imbrogno essentially summed up my feelings on the same topic by questioning the Yankees motives in ignoring Roy Oswalt and Hiroki Kuroda, both of whom are seeking one year deals.

From Imbrogno:

Okay. What the hell, people? I’ll start by saying that there are legitimate risks about both guys. Oswalt’s back is as balky as anything and Kuroda’s no spring chicken either. But they both represent possible or probable upgrades over what’s in the Yankee rotation, not including CC Sabathia. Neither one of them needs a long term commitment. The lack of interest on the Yankees’ part is stunning, and not in a good way. We keep hearing about the need for rotation upgrades and we keep hearing about high costs. Well, here are two relatively low cost options that are better than at least half of the non-CC Yankee rotation.

The lack of interest is confusing to say the least. Do Oswalt and Kuroda offer an upgrade in the starting rotation? Check. How about relative low cost? Check. Short term commitment? Check. So, what's the problem? Oswalt and Kuroda could be 2012's Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon, but with way more upside.

If the Yankees want to avoid those long term deals in order to get under the luxury tax threshold for 2014, and upgrade the rotation in the process, they should look no further than Roy Oswalt and Hiroki Kuroda.