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The Yankees losing streak was starting to get a little concerning.
Aaron Boone’s team had lost three games in a row; one to the Red Sox, and two to the Blue Jays. New York ended that skid on Thursday night with a 6-2 win to close out the series in Toronto.
The Yankees look like one of the best teams in baseball, but WFAN’s Gregg Giannotti thinks adding another starting pitcher could be what determines whether or not they are able to win the World Series.
“Dallas Keuchel signed somewhere else,” Giannotti said to Jerry Recco, who was filling in for Boomer Esiason on Friday morning’s edition of the “Boomer and Gio” show. “If you want to talk about what could change the Yankees, and what could be the biggest factor in them winning a Championship or not; it’s who they’re going to acquire in a trade, because now it’s going to be a trade … if Brian Cashman, I would be shocked if he didn’t trade for a starting pitcher, but who it’s going to be? And who are you giving up?”
New York had been linked heavily with a move for Keuchel, who has remained unsigned since he became a free agent after last campaign: his seventh year with the Astros. It looked like the Yankees were leading the race for Keuchel, but reports now say that he has agreed to a deal with the Atlanta Braves.
So, Boone and Cashman miss out on Keuchel. But there are still a few other starting pitchers they could go out and make a deal for. Gio thought they might now turn their attention to Madison Bumgarner.
“If you have your sights set on Madison Bumgarner … it’s going to take Clint Frazier. It’s going to take Estevan Florial. It’s going to take other low-level prospects that maybe we’re not talking about because they’re not as close, but are highly regarded in the Yankees’ system. And that’s going to be a really tough to decision to make, especially when you’re banking on a guy, Madison Bumgarner, even though he’s all not that old, to throw back the clock a couple of years to be the great postseason pitcher that he was.”
Bumgarner is still just 29-years-old, but he’s not the same pitcher he was when he led the Giants to the 2014 World Series title. His heroics earned him the MVP award for that series.
This season, Bumgarner is 3-5 with a 4.05 ERA in 13 total starts.
Gio was confident that the Yankees need to add another starting pitcher, but Jerry wasn’t so sure.
“You’re still looking at a team with (Domingo) German, (J.A.) Happ, and (James) Paxton, just to start. You’re doing alright,” said Recco. “It’s not like this team is in dire need of starting pitching right now. In need? Sure. And I think everybody would like to upgrade themselves.”