AL East Rivals Stock up on Arms and the Yankees Sit Idle
The writing is on the wall. The barbarians are not only at the gates, but they have overrun the fortress walls of the Yankees’ Winterfell. The Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays strengthened their respective starting staffs in a year when the Yankees will be short two starters for a significant portion of the schedule. The arms race is on, and the Yankees risk stumbling into the season undermanned and outgunned.
Boston struck first by recognizing the need for pitching depth. They added a former Yankee to partner with their ace Garrett Crochet. Sonny Gray was acquired by trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. This was a solid move as the 36-year-old veteran arrives fresh off two of his best seasons, as he accumulated 27 wins and over 400 strikeouts. It’s a veteran move that stabilizes their staff.
Toronto, meanwhile, solved its biggest flaw. Beyond Kevin Gausman, the Blue Jays had little certainty in the starting five. They tinkered with Trey Yesavage and squeezed the last drops of greatness out of Max Scherzer. Shane Bieber was added, but pitched only seven games. Toronto solved this hole with a major free agent splash, bringing in Dylan Cease for seven years and $220 million. Cease is not only young and talented, but durable. Dylan has made 32 starts or more the last five seasons, a rare thing in baseball these days and something the Yankees lack.
The AL East is now deeper in talent while the Yankees continue to settle. The return of Ryan Yarbrough and possibly Devin Williams is the only Yankee news. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon will miss the start of the season. Cam Schlittler showed promise, but is unproven over a full season. Max Fried is the only sure thing. Beyond that, it’s shadows and question marks. While their rivals added proven arms, the Yankees countered with bargain pieces and hope. The former 27-time champions need to make World Series moves if they hope to return there.
The Yankees will find only one impact arm in the free agent marketplace that could bring them back into that conversation, and it comes out of Japan again. Tatsuya Imai has been posted and has the mindset the Yankees should crave. He wants to win a title outside the Los Angeles Dodgers bubble. This 27-year-old, who is a three-time all-star, has a career 3.00 ERA, and his high 90s heat has contributed to double-digit win totals while striking out over 100 players in four of the last five seasons for the Seibu Lions. Imai is the move the Yankees need to make and keep away from the other contenders. The only other path is to swing a blockbuster trade for Cy Young winners Paul Skenes or Tarik Skubal, which would leave their minor leagues cleanly picked. One thing is for certain. Boston and Toronto have reloaded. If New York doesn’t act decisively, October baseball will be played without them.
