The Yankees struck quickly last offseason when it came time to address their starting pitching needs, signing CC Sabathia to a one-year deal on Nov. 7 and trading for James Paxton less than two weeks later.
J.A. Happ followed in mid-December as another free-agent pickup.
Their goals as this Hot Stove season ramps up aren’t as well known, but that should change this week, when Brian Cashman heads to the general manager’s meetings, which begin Monday.
Though Hal Steinbrenner recently said the Yankees had a “very good rotation” as 2020 approaches, they will no doubt be looking at adding to it in the coming months.
That’s where Gerrit Cole comes in.
Cashman and Steinbrenner have been careful to avoid discussing the right-hander publicly, but the Yankees have tried to acquire the 30-year-old twice before — first in the draft and again when he was traded by the Pirates.
Cole’s agent, Scott Boras, said in a text message on Saturday that he would address the media at the GM meetings.
That address will not only focus on Cole and the Yankees, but on a handful of other starters in Boras’ stable who have hit the open market.
Stephen Strasburg opted out of the final four years of his deal with the Nationals, coming off a World Series MVP honor. Dallas Keuchel, who the Yankees pursued as a free agent last season before he signed with the Braves, and Hyun-jin Ryu are both also free agents. All are represented by Boras.
Cole is expected to get a deal worth north of $200 million wherever he winds up. And Strasburg should get a significant deal, despite his injury history.
As it stands now, with Sabathia retired, the Yankees have Paxton, Happ, Masahiro Tanaka and Luis Severino in their rotation.
Jordan Montgomery will be in the mix after missing most of the past two seasons following Tommy John surgery, as should Jonathan Loaisiga.
And Cashman and Steinbrenner have noted the progress of Deivi Garcia, the 20-year-old right-hander the Yankees flirted with bringing up from the minors for the stretch run. He will likely debut next season.
But none of those arms figures to dissuade the Yankees from going after Cole — or perhaps Strasburg if Cole lands elsewhere.
It was at this time a year ago when the Yankees and Mariners began laying the groundwork for the Paxton trade, which is another direction Cashman could go in.
Coming off a playoff run that ended in the ALCS, the Yankees have so far declined to extend Didi Gregorius a qualifying offer, and they added a year to Aroldis Chapman’s contract to prevent the closer from opting out.
In the coming weeks, the rest of their offseason should begin to become clearer.
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