The New York Yankees starting pitching rotation has gone from bad to worse. The team has been struggling with injuries to some of their top arms, but had been getting by on what little depth they had. However, that was halted when it was announced that Yankees' pitcher CC Sabathia would be out for the entire season. The Yankees made one trade to help, but could they make another before the deadline?
Sabathia suffered a setback with a cartilage in his right knee and will be forced to miss the remainder of the season. The Yankees could not afford that. The team had already lost Ivan Nova to Tommy John surgery. Michael Pineda has also been out since April after suffering back issues. He is working his way off the disabled list, but right now there is no timetable for his return. This has forced New York to explore the trade market and start making moves.
According to ESPN.com, the Yankees traded Vidal Nuno for Arizona Diamondbacks starter, Brandon McCarthy. The move comes after the Yankees failed to land a deal for Chicago Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija who was sent in a deal to the Oakland Athletics. Buster Olney of ESPN reports the Yankees pushed hard for the Cubs starter, but did not have a prospect that excited the Athletics enough.
McCarthy is 3-10 with a 5.01 ERA on the season. In nine seasons in the major leagues, he is 45-60 with a 4.21 ERA. While those numbers are decent, they are not what the Yankees need to remain in World Series contention. New York has spent a lot of money building a roster they believe can compete and right now that is not happening which could mean New York makes another deal prior to the deadline.
There are several starting pitchers available on the market, the Yankees just need to decide what they are willing to give up to get one. They could go all-in on a deal and attempt to acquire someone like David Price who is working off a one-year deal. Tampa Bay has been hesitant to trade him up until now, but are still listening to offers. The best available could be with the Philadelphia Phillies. They are shopping both Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee in deals. The Yankees are lacking in the prospects department which was why they failed to land Samardzija, but the team could part ways with an extra outfielder like Ichiro Suzuki who has been off and on the trade block for most of the year.
