The New York Yankees need to find a new starting pitcher or two to fill out their starting pitching rotation. Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt are set to miss the entire season with elbow injuries, with Luis Gil remaining on the shelf with a strained lat.
While the Yankees need to make a trade for a starting pitcher, it’s unclear who they could target ahead of the deadline, but there are bound to be multiple options to choose from.
FanSided’s Jake Elman recently suggested the Yankees could trade for Athletics pitcher Jeffrey Springs this season, noting it could make perfect sense.
“Springs has quietly posted a 3.76 ERA for the A’s and Tampa Bay Rays since returning from Tommy John surgery last summer,” Elman wrote. “He’s a solid if unimpressive option, one that should nonetheless appeal to a Yankees team desperately needing starting rotation depth.
“That’s not to say Springs is a perfect option, largely because of his home run problems. Springs has already allowed a career-high 17 long balls, with eight coming over 57.1 road innings. That’s significant because the A’s are playing in a Minor League stadium, so the argument about Sutter Health Park’s dimensions inflating Springs’ stats doesn’t work here.”
Springs has been solid this season. He might not be the level of pitcher that Max Fried is at the top of the Yankees rotation, but that’s not what New York would want from him.
If the lefty can eat innings as the fourth starter in the rotation, the Yankees would likely be happy with it.
Gil is nearing a return, and Cole will return next season. Adding Spring alongside the arms on the roster would be a boost this season and beyond.
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