Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The Best Remaining Options on the Starting Pitching Board After Scherzer/Shields


It seems like all the good starting pitching besides Max Scherzer and James Shields are off the free agency board in a time when the New York Yankees need it most. Besides the two aforementioned aces the remaining crop of pitchers does not look too enticing, should the Yankees take a shot?

Hiroki Kuroda is undecided whether he even wants to pitch next season or not but right now you have to welcome him back to the club if he wants to pitch. He would be a rock in a shaky rotation right now after posting a 11-9 record with a 3.71 ERA in 2014 with New York.

Edison Volquez posted a career best 3.04 ERA with a 13-7 record last season which leads you to believe his control issues are finally behind him. Volquez posted a career best 1.97 K/BB ratio in 2014 with Pittsburgh and has stepped up as the best "second tier" free agent available.

Brandon Beachy and Kris Medlen both are coming off their second Tommy John surgeries and both will likely be available on short termed and cheap deals. Neither will be available to start the season but both should be ready around the time Ivan Nova is ready to return. Maybe a split contract for both which keeps them off the 40 man roster until their ready?

We finish with Jake Peavy who probably has the least eye popping stats at 7-13 with a 3.73 ERA but may come with the most experience for the back end of the rotation. Peavy struck out 158 batters in 2014 between Boston and San Francisco and is playoffs and World Series tested after getting a ring this season. Peavy's sinkerball would fit in well in Yankee Stadium and he misses enough bats to succeed not as an ace but a viable middle of the rotation type starter.

2 comments:

  1. JAKE PEAVY....in respect tour post, Mr. Burch :
    I would rather drink colonics at a good friends wedding, than sign Jake Peavy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Most Yankees fans think that way about Peavy. He wouldn't be worse than Capuano though...

    ReplyDelete

Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)