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The Yankees spent the last few weeks insisting that they would fill their rotation holes with internal options. Brian Cashman said it was unlikely they’d make any additions to the team until closer to the deadline, and Aaron Boone believed that both Domingo German and Jonathan Loaisiga could start the season in the rotation. It sounds like the Yankees have wavered on this stance.
According to Jon Heyman, the Bombers made an offer to Gio Gonzalez. The two sides are not particularly close to reaching a deal, but it is a move that would make sense for both parties. It is really late for Gonzalez to be unsigned, and very risky for him to continue to sit out. Likewise, there is every reason for the Yankees to add another starter. There is no such thing as too many pitchers, especially when Luis Severino is going to be sidelined until May 1st as the earliest. CC Sabathia’s timeline is more optimistic, but he still could be out until mid-late April.
It’s one thing to stick Luis Cessa and German in the rotation for a couple of starts, but relying on them for the first five weeks of the season is entirely different. They were forced to use them early and often last year after Jordan Montgomery’s injury and Sonny Gray’s ineffectiveness, and that didn’t work out for them. It would be prudent to sign Gonzalez now rather than wait for the rotation to further implode and make some desperate trades near the deadline.
For a breakdown of Gonzalez and his stuff, see what Tom Krosnowski had to say about the left-hander.