The New York Yankees are looking to upgrade their starting rotation this offseason, and it looks as if the team is going to venture into the trade makret.
According to a report by Bob Nightengale, the Yankees are one of the teams interested in Detroit Tigers starter Michael Fulmer. The Yankees have also called the Arizona Diamondbacks regarding Patrick Corbin.
The New York #Yankees, trying to swing a trade for a starter, have #Tigers Michael Fulmer and #Dbacks Patrick Corbin on their radar in early talks
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 12, 2017
The Yankees are currently uncertain about CC Sabathia‘s return to the club, as the lefty was engaging in talks with the Los Angeles Angels earlier this week. At the moment the team has Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, Jordan Montgomery, and Luis Severino in the rotation with room to add a high-quality starter to the payroll. Yankees GM Brian Cashman also said he is willing to shed current contracts in order to make that happen.
There are two separate cases regarding which pitcher to land; Fulmer won’t be a free agent until the 2023 season, and the asking price for him will be astronomical given his team control. In the last two seasons, Fulmer threw 323.2 IP with a 3.45 ERA, but recently underwent offseason surgery to deal with a nerve issue in his elbow. However, the Tigers don’t believe it will leave any long term effects.
Corbin on the other hand might be too expensive for the Diamondbacks currently payroll. He’s expected to make approximately $8.3 Million from arbitration, which would make him a useful trade piece.
While the Diamondbacks don’t necessarily have to trade Corbin, they also have four other rotation candidates as well as a few internal candidates to battle for a spot this Spring.
