Yankees’ top-tier free agent pitching prospects

October 10, 8:57 AMNew York Yankees ExaminerPete Sabatini

Previous Next

3 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the New York Yankees Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Brian Cashman, Joe Girardi, and all of the Steinbrenners have a busy offseason ahead of them.  Cashman’s mission is to get back on top and Girardi has identified 2009’s top priority as reliable pitchers and pitching depth. 

With no true dominant ace and two to three starting spots to fill it’s going to be a busy offseason that looks to get heated up very quickly, so let’s get started.

CC Sabathia’s on the top of all big-spending teams’ (Dodgers, Angels, Yankees) wish-lists. 

Sabathia has made it clear that he prefers California geographically, but money usually talks when the previous season’s most dominant pitcher hits the open market. 

The Yankees will not be afraid to spend big to get the big name.

Consider the big guy’s arm.  CC has thrown 253 innings in 2008 including a risky and wearing three games on three days rest to end the regular season.  That’s even 12 more innings than 2007 and those kinds of innings catch up to pitchers – especially pitchers built like CC.

Some think that the Steinbrenners will do anything it takes to make CC a Yankee, but breaking the bank on one arm, no matter how stellar, does not sound like the best investment when there are so many pitchers on the market this year.  CC has shown incredible results in 2008 and 2007, but there’s no such thing as a sure thing.

Still, the Yankees should sign him and take the risk - just make sure there's more in the coffers to continue the spending spree.

AJ Burnett is the number two hot pitcher on the market.  This guy has been a Yankee killer, but has only seen two excellent seasons, 2005, his contract year in Florida, and 2008, his contract year in Toronto. 

Mind you, the excellent seasons weren’t even stellar. In 2005 he had a 3.30 ERA but only managed 12-12 while in 2008 he recorded an 18-10 record with a good but not great 4.07. 

He seems to peak in contract years which doesn’t bode well when he wants a long-term deal.  If the price is too high, that kind of inconsistency will not play in New York.

The Yankees need to be in the mix for AJ, but should make him come to them instead of making concessions to get him.

The injury-prone Ben Sheets was thought to be in the mix at the top of the pitching pool, but another injury was recently reported. 

Sheets has a tear in the muscle of his pitching elbow, which will lower his stock value on the open market.  A lower market value, though, may make him more of a bargain at the right price.

When healthy, Sheets can be very successful, but his risky health will keep offers well below the blockbuster level (AKA the Johan Santana line). 

You’ll get 25-30 starts, most of them quality, but don’t expect more and no one can predict when in the season they’ll come.  Sheets gives you a sub 4.00 ERA and 10-15 wins, but hasn’t thrown 200 innings since 2004.  That is, if he fully recovers from this most recent elbow problem.

Of course Sheets makes it sounds like he'll be ready to pitch after a little rest, but you have to run this guy through every medical test on earth before making him an offer.  I like him right now because I think the Yankees can get him at a bargain because of that late-season injury.  For 20 quality start a year, you take him.

All three of the top free agent prospects clearly have their risks.  While Cashman will have a lot of cash to play with, he will always look for the best deal for the pitcher’s value.  They need an ace and a big name for the big new stadium, so expect at least one of these pitchers to be a Yankee in 2009.  It will be CC plus others if it is at all possible.

The list doesn’t stop there.  Far from it.  There is a B list of free agent pitchers that could prove very lucrative for the Yankees as well.  This list includes the likes of Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez, and Jon Garland.  Junichi Tazawa is out if the conversation now - read more about that here.  More to come on that very soon.

Feeling like it’s going to be a supermarket sweep-style offseason shopping spree?  We’ve only just begun.

Also still to come, holes in the field and retooling the lineup.

For a rundown on the current Yankee pitchers read my post here.

For the overall offseason agenda, read my thoughts here.