MLB Trade Rumors: Why New York Yankees Rotation Must Improve for Playoff Success
June 27, 2012 · Jonathan Reid · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Nearly halfway through another baseball season and the New York Yankees are once again on top of baseball’s toughest division.
As per usual, the Bronx Bombers have slugged their way to the top of the American League East and are eyeing yet another postseason appearance.
While hitting may be enough to secure the Yankees a playoff berth in 2012, everyone knows that teams need to have a talented group of starting pitchers if they hope to make waves when October comes around.
Being sixth in team runs, first in team home runs and second in team OPS is all fine and dandy for now, but the Yankees desperately need help on the mound, where they don’t have a single pitcher—with the exception of Andy Pettitte—that sports an ERA under 3.40.
The recent loss of staff-ace CC Sabathia doesn’t make things any easier in the Big Apple, for one of baseball’s most loved organizations.
This is why it came as a shock the other day when a story broke via the New York Daily News that Yankees GM Brian Cashman is perfectly content standing pat, keeping his farm system intact and payroll where it’s at.
Even before Sabathia landed on the disabled list, the Yankees rotation wasn’t exactly top-notch.
Despite the fact that they were/are winning games on a regular basis, starters Ivan Nova, CC Sabathia, Hiroki Kuroda and Phil Hughes have all looked like middle-of-the-rotation arms with elevated ERAs and WHIPs hovering in the 1.30 region (albeit Hughes has looked much better this past month).
Now with Sabathia hurt, it becomes imperative that Cashman do something to bolster his team’s rotation.
It just doesn’t seem realistic that the Yankees can shut down a team like the Texas Rangers or the Los Angeles Angels with their current starting rotation.
For New York, clobbering baseballs may get it to the postseason, but it will be effective starting pitching and continued success from its bullpen that will keep it there.
For now, the Yankees are a team destined to fail once again in October.
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