The New York Yankees have stayed quiet on the trade front at this point, but with the MLB Trading Deadline fast approaching, you’d have to think the Bombers will be active. General Manager Brian Cashman usually doesn’t sit still, and even if he has publicly labeled the current Yankees as “championship caliber”, the Yankees could use help in the starting rotation.
The main name that has been bandied about is Ubaldo Jimenez of the Colorado Rockies, but recent reports suggest that the talks between the Yankees and Rockies have not gone well. The Rockies, and rightfully so by the way, are asking for a king’s ransom for their best pitcher, and the Yankees would likely have to include catching prospect Jesus Montero as well as pitchers Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos before Colorado would even consider. It’s a steep price, and for a guy who has not been all that spectacular since the 2010 All-Star break, the Yanks might be better served hanging on to their young guns.
Another name, and a more likely one for the Yankees is Houston’s Wandy Rodriguez. He is garnering a lot of interest, as he has kept his ERA in the mid threes for the past few years on a bad team and in a hitter-friendly park. He would probably slide toward the back end of the Yankees’ rotation, where, to be honest, they’ve been pretty solid all year with Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon and Ivan Nova.
Finally, the Dodgers’ Hiroki Kuroda is also apparently available, and the Yankees are in the mix and interested. Kuroda has a no-trade clause and would have to accept any trade, but it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t leave the disastrous situation with the Dodgers for the Yankees. On all three of these accounts, the Yankees have competition from the Red Sox.