Why the Yankees Should Pursue Jordan Zimmerman

We all know about the Nathan Eovaldi trade and the re-signing of Chris Capuano. We all probably know those moves should put an end to the Yankees' offseason.

After making them, the Yankees have five respectable starters they can use to put up a decent fight in 2015. Again, they're respectable, not necessarily above-average.

Basically, the Yankees' rotation is mediocre right now. Considering their weak offense, the Yankees will likely only be able to win next season with pitching, so why aren't they still looking for arms? They've shown no interest in doing so up to this point, but that can change. The Nationals have expressed interest recently in trading Jordan Zimmerman to make room for Max Scherzer, so the Yankees can always go after him. They have to in my opinion, and here's why:

1. Zimmerman is Reliable:

I personally believe that Masahiro Tanaka and Michael Pineda will do fine next year, but that doesn't mean everyone one else will as well. CC Sabathia is losing velocity, Eovaldi's a mystery, Capuano's not really supposed to dominate, and Ivan Nova is coming off Tommy John surgery. Zimmerman would bring reliability to the Yankees if acquired, giving them a nice trio to cancel out the others' inevitable struggles.

2. Zimmerman's a Cheap Ace:

It may be too good for Brian Cashman to believe, but Zimmerman's actually affordable. He only has one year left on his contract, but in it he's set to make just under $12 million. That's not bad, especially when the Yankees have already proved more than willing to give Capuano just under half that. Not to mention, Zimmerman's also an ace, so if Tanaka or Pineda go down, the Yankees need not worry.

3. The Yankees Can't Pass Up the Opportunity:

If next season's second base battle's going to be between Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela, then why don't the Yankees just pick their favorite and send the other to DC? I don't want to do that, but trading's all about sacrificing. A nice prospect package is worth nothing compared to Zimmerman.

To put it simply, we've all been wishing, secretly or openly, the Yankees make a run at the aforementioned Scherzer, and we all know New York's current group isn't championship-caliber. Unfortunately, signing Scherzer won't happen, but that doesn't mean the Yankees can't still improve. Zimmerman's better than James Shields, cheaper than Scherzer, and healthier than Tanaka. Why the Yankees wouldn't at least try to get him, frankly, beats me.