The New York Yankees bolstered their lineup in a big way this offseason by signing top-tier free agents Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury and Brian McCann. As for the pitching aspect of the equation—well, the organization still has work to do if it plans on contending next year.
At the time of this writing, the Yankees are set to open the 2014 season with a starting rotation of CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda, Ivan Nova, David Phelps and Michael Pineda. Suffice it to say their Nos. 4 and 5 starters leave something to be desired. Furthermore, because the organization lacks major league-ready arms at the Double- and Triple-A levels, they’re unlikely to address the issue by promoting from within.
With that said, the Yankees are expected to pursue Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka—if he’s made available—and potentially could still sign a free-agent starter such as Bronson Arroyo, Matt Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez or Ervin Santana. However, given the projected market for the aforementioned hurlers, it may be in the team’s best interest to upgrade the starting rotation through a trade.
Here are three trade ideas for the New York Yankees to improve their 2014 starting rotation.
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