Monday night was a dream scenario for the Texas Rangers, and a nightmare for the Houston Astros. It was also a nightmare for a lot of New York baseball fans.
Last season, when New York Yankees' GM Brian Cashman traded with the St. Louis Cardinals for an injured Harrison Bader, some fans were up-in-arms. A quality left-handed starting pitcher for a guy on the injured list?
General manager Brian Cashman addressed most every team need leading up to this week's trade deadline. Cashman was wheeling and dealing in order to solidify the Bronx Bombers roster with an eye to win a World Series for the first time in a dozen years. However, when trades happen, real people and real lives are effected. Friends that are like family are torn apart. Former Yankees left-handed pitcher Jordan Montgomery is living this disturbing circumstance first hand, as he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday for outfielder Harrison Bader.
The New York Yankees are rolling. The last thing that fans of opposing teams, like Red Sox Nation, want to hear is that the Yankees starting pitching is on the brink of getting stronger. That is exactly what is happening.
It's the time of year that Major League pitchers in Spring Training are amping up for their first start of the season, very much like Gerrit Cole is getting set to do on Friday. Cole will be the Yankees starting pitcher on April 7th at Yankee Stadium vs. Boston. The pitcher that Aaron Boone had slated to climb the hill for his team the next day, is now skipping Wednesday's Grapefruit League start vs Toronto.
This past weekend, the New York Yankees pitchers were once again subject to Major League Baseball umpires checking for foreign grip-aiding substances. The practice had not been enforced so far in spring training games and there is a new procedure in practice. Ironically, Gerrit Cole was on the mound Sunday for the Pinstripes.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone has a ton of time to think about his pitching rotation these days. One problem is, he doesn't know who is doing well coming off of injuries and who is not. Nor does he know who general manager Brian Cashman will be able to add via trade or free agency. As the players are locked out of team facilities, communication between organizational staff and their players is supposed to be non-existent. From everything that I can gather, that is true. So, let's give the manager some help and design a realistic starting five to take the Bombers back to the World Series.
Coming into the season easily the biggest question facing the New York Yankees was the starting pitching. CC Sabathia was supposed to be washed up but he's 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA through three starts. Michael Pineda was a wild card at best but after a rough first start, he's 2-1 and flirted with a perfect game...