Yankees Interested In Trading For Cubs Jeff Samardzija

The New York Yankees seem willing to enter the Jeff Samardzija sweepstakes if the Chicago Cubs are going to trade him this offseason. Acquiring Samardzija would cost a ton, let's not equivocate, and I am not sure how he would translate into the AL East or Yankee Stadium. Samardzija strikes out enough guys, over nine guys per nine innings, and has seen his ground ball rate inch closer and closer towards a 50% rate every season while throwing nearly at an average of 95 MPH on his fastball.

Pitching for the Cubs, especially as an Opening Day starter, along with being a big time wide receiver at Notre Dame in college shows you that the big stage in New York probably would not bother him as much as most, which is worth a lot more than most people think. Samardzija is under team control for the 2014 and 2015 seasons and only made $2.64 million in 2013 making him very cheap and affordable for a team, like say the Yankees, looking to cut costs in all areas with the Hal Cap looming.

The problem with Samardzija is he gave up over a home run per game in Chicago and I cannot see that improving in New York. Granted it may stay the same or get worse but no way he improves on that in Yankee Stadium, I don't need Katron.org to tell me that. Samardzija has also yet to reach 200 innings which is something to think about with a team that needs to add "400 innings" to the rotation.

I don't think the Yankees have the pieces to acquire Samardzija anyway but if we did I think I would be more likely to be looking at Phil Hughes part two and less of the ace we would be paying for. At the end of the day I think I have to pass.