The New York Yankees have expressed interest in acquiring Oakland Athletics' utility man Ben Zobrist, which may provide some insight into their plans with the starting rotation moving forward.
There's going to be much demand for a player such as Zobrist because he's capable of playing all over the field and that versatility can help New York in more ways than one. The Yankees just got Masahiro Tanaka back from the disabled list and Ivan Nova is nearing his return from Tommy John surgery after pitching in his first rehab start on Tuesday.
Because of the success of Adam Warren and the injury troubles surrounding Tanaka, Nova and even Michael Pineda in the past, the Yankees may have a six-man rotation in mind, which is what pitching coach Larry Rothschild suggested in the offseason. If that's the case, acquiring Zobrist would allow them to stash an extra pitcher (Warren, Nova, Luis Severino, Bryan Mitchell, etc.) on their 25-man roster and Girardi won't have to worry about his depth on the bench.
"The Yankees, as they move forward, might want to build in extra rest for both pitchers. They've already skipped Michael Pineda once to preserve his innings and could do the same with Adam Warren and even CC Sabathia," writes FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.
"A 13-man staff, though, would leave Girardi with only a three-man bench. A Zobrist or [Brock] Holt masks the lack of depth by rotating between infield and outfield. Both players started as shortstops, then branched out to other positions."
Nova tossed 4 2/3 innings (faced 20 batters) at Class A Advanced Tampa on Tuesday and scouts were impressed with his velocity and command. The right-hander allowed 2 runs (one earned) on three hits and struck out three. He's expected to be back with the team in the immediate future.
"The Yankees always believed what could separate them in the AL East was Tanaka and Pineda atop the rotation. And what if they are ably backed by Nova, Sabathia, Eovaldi, Warren and maybe even Luis Severino and Bryan Mitchell," writes Joel Sherman of the New York Post.
"[Nova] is due to throw a bullpen in New York for pitching coach Larry Rothschild, then start at Triple-A, and a decision will come afterward if he is ready to return. Girardi said a six-man rotation is possible for a turn or - like they did this week with Pineda - a starter such as Warren or Sabathia could be given a break."
While Tanaka doesn't need Tommy John surgery right now, it's more than likely he'll need it in the future because his damaged UCL won't be able to hold up for years to come. New York hopes to preserve his health for the time being, and the best way to do that is with a six-man rotation.
Warren (4-4 with a 3.64 ERA and 1.197 WHIP in 11 starts) has made his case for sticking around in the rotation. At this point, the Yanks look to be going with "the more the merrier" philosophy in terms of starting pitching.
Look for Zobrist to be their top priority at the trade deadline if the Athletics (23-37) continue to fall out of the playoff picture and decide to sell. His versatility will help New York preserve the health and longevity of their rotation.
