The New York Yankees will have pitchers and catchers officially report to spring training on Friday. While they still might be looking to add a top international talent, the team is also considering beginning the year with a deeper starting rotation.
New York has been linked to Cuban prospect Yoan Moncada for quite some time now, but earlier this week it was reported the team "likes the player but not the price tag." Moncada is expected to cost between $60 million and $100 million, which includes his signing bonus and the penalties teams will incur by further exceeding their international bonus pool limits. However, it appears the Yankees are very much still interested.
"The Yankees took a second look at Yoan Moncada early Wednesday evening during a George M. Steinbrenner Field workout," writes George A. King III of the New York Post. "Two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed the 19-year-old free agent, a switch-hitting infielder from Cuba, showcased his skills for the Yankees, who were intrigued enough to see him again."
Moncada's agent, David Hastings, said the prospect would like to sign before spring training, but because a number of teams are hoping to land him, it may take longer than that. An international scouting source said the Los Angeles Dodgers are willing to pay $40 million for Moncada ($80 million total with tax penalties), so the Yankees will have a difficult decision to make if that's the case.
On the defensive side of the ball, New York has a number of issues surrounding their starting rotation. The health of Masahiro Tanaka, C.C. Sabathia, Ivan Nova and Michael Pineda are in question while Nathan Eovaldi is looking to bounce back from a down year in 2014 and Chris Capuano hopes to get back to being a full-time starter. With 30 games in 31 days starting on April 17, pitching coach Larry Rothschild suggests the rotation could undergo a change at that point in the season.
"We're aware of situations here and early in the season, we need to get these guys through these stretches," he said, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "It'd be nice to go through a season with five starters, but there's a good chance we're not going to. There's a good chance every team in baseball won't, so it doesn't hurt to see who might fit in as a sixth starter."
With Nova likely out until June, the Yankees could use pitchers Bryan Mitchell, Esmil Rogers, Adam Warren or Chase Witley as the sixth starter to join Tanaka, Sabathia, Pineda, Eovaldi and Capuano. The team will likely evaluate their performances during spring training to see who fits best in a starting role. Such a strategy could help preserve the health of Tanaka, Sabathia and Pineda, who the Yankees need to succeed in order to have a shot at the postseason.
We'll see if the team goes through with the idea of a six-man rotation.
