It's almost Christmas Day people, get excited. While many are scrambling to get their shopping completed, their presents wrapped and their plans and work week's done I am just over here scouring the free agent market wondering what I would want for Christmas if I were the New York Yankees. The Yankees presumably are interested in many starting pitchers and some have even gone as far to say that the team with six starting pitching options already "needs" another pitcher. Since it's the holiday season and it's time to reach for the stars I'm going for it with this Christmas list I'm sending to Santa this year.
The starting pitching market is absolutely stacked so take your pick. Ian Kennedy, Wei-Yin Chen, Doug Fister, Scott Kazmir, Kenta Maeda was available through the posting system, Henderson Alvarez before the Oakland A's snatched him up, Cliff Lee, Mark Buehrle, Yovani Gallardo, Kyle Kendrick, Mike Minor and a slew of others but one guy is probably better than them all, and younger than most of them too. Mike Leake
Leake is a 28-year old starting pitcher that pitched for the San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds last season. He's not the ace the Yankees "need" but he is a durable arm that can give you 200 innings every single season. Leake was traded mid-season 2015 meaning he is not attached to any draft pick compensation making all the more attractive, even more so than Chen who recently announced he wanted $100 million or Gallardo who in my opinion is just average.
Leake has posted a 3.0, 1.5 and 2.9 WAR in each of his last three seasons respectively and would be an obvious upgrade over Ivan Nova, CC Sabathia or maybe even Michael Pineda who battles with consistency year in and year out. If I'm the Yankees I'm asking for Leake or a Leake clone. Young, durable, a pitcher that allows the team to keep the 20th overall Draft pick and a pitcher that can make the team better.
Santa, make it happen dude.
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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)