Veteran starter Chris Young hit the free agent market after the 2014 season and he still has yet to sign with a team despite registering a solid campaign after missing all of 2013.
But with spring training underway, Young is "planning to review offers and make a decision on a team by the end of the week," according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. The 35-year-old finished 12-9 with a 3.65 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 30 games (29 starts) for the Seattle Mariners and won AL Comeback Player of the Year.
Seattle acquired starter J.A. Happ in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays earlier in the offseason, so it's unlikely Young re-signs there. There are a few clubs out there who may be in need of a back-of-the-rotation starter, including the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins, especially at the fairly cheap price Young is likely to command. However, the Yankees and Marlins have two different situations in terms of their pitching staffs.
New York's projected starting five includes Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Capuano. Although it looks solid on paper, their three top arms have been dealing with fairly serious injuries and Capuano is no lock to be the fifth starter, especially since he started off the 2014 season in a relief role for the Boston Red Sox. Signing Young would give New York another arm that acts as insurance in the event any of the aforementioned starters suffers a setback and has to miss time. He could immediately assume the No. 5 spot.
The Yankees also have Adam Warren and Ivan Nova available to start, but Warren has only made three career starts and Nova isn't expected to return to the team until June as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
As for Miami, their rotation consists of Henderson Alvarez, Mat Latos, Jarred Cosart, Tom Koehler and Dan Haren. The Marlins acquired starter Haren from the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he might still be seeking a trade because of his desire to pitch on the West Coast, which would affect the veteran presence on the staff. Jose Fernandez is the team's ace, but he's only 22 years old and isn't expected back until mid-June as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
Because of the question marks surrounding Miami's rotation, the addition of Young wouldn't be surprising since it could help provide some continuity. Young also proved he's still capable of pitching after enduring a season in the competitive AL West division.
Neither of these teams have been linked to Young at this point, but just from looking at all the starting rotations, he might best fit in New York or Miami.
