The Yankees’ Biggest Need Right Now

The Yankees have a big need right now and that is a starting pitcher. They are linked to many free agents starting pitchers.

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The Yankees’ Current Situation

The Yankees are currently in first place in the AL East with a 41-22 record. They are 9.5 games ahead of the second place Rays. They have the best record in baseball and are on pace to win over 100 games. They have a great starting rotation, a deep bullpen, and a powerful lineup. The only thing they are lacking is a left-handed bat off the bench.

The Yankees’ current record

The Yankees’ current record is 27-27. They are in 4th place in the AL East, 7.5 games behind the first place Tampa Bay Rays. They are also currently in the Wild Card race, as they are 1.5 games behind the Oakland Athletics for the first Wild Card spot. The Yankees have not been playing their best baseball as of late, as they have lost 6 out of their last 10 games.

The Yankees’ current standings

After a disappointing loss to the Rays last night, the Yankees are now 4.5 games back of the division-leading Red Sox. They are also 10 games behind the Astros for the best record in baseball, which would give them home field advantage throughout the playoffs. So what do the Yankees need to do to make a push for the playoffs?

weaken their opponents by acquiring some key players before the trade deadline. Here are three players who would help them make a push for October.

1. J.A. Happ, SP, Blue Jays: The Yankees need another starter and Happ is one of the best available. He’s having a great season, with a 3.48 ERA and 1.13 WHIP in 20 starts. He’s also been exceptionally durable, making at least 30 starts in each of the last four seasons.

2. Manny Machado, SS, Orioles: The Yankees have been linked to Machado for months and it’s easy to see why. He’s one of the best players in baseball and would immediately upgrade their infield defense. He’s also having a career year at the plate, batting .315/.387/.574 with 24 homers and 65 RBIs in 100 games.

3. Zach Britton, RP, Orioles: The Yankees could use another lefty reliever and Britton is one of the best in baseball. He’s been dominant since becoming a full-time closer in 2016, posting a 1.42 ERA and 0..54 WHIP while converting 90% of his save opportunities (60-for-67).

The Yankees’ Biggest Need

The Yankees are in need of a starting pitcher. They have been linked to many free agents, but have yet to make a move. The Yankees’ rotation is currently filled with question marks. They need someone who can come in and be a reliable starter.

Pitching

The New York Yankees have had a great start to their season, but they have shown some weaknesses that they need to address if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs. One of their biggest needs right now is pitching.

The Yankees’ starting rotation has been good, but not great. They are currently ranked 13th in the majors in ERA (4.11). While their starters have been keeping them in games, they have not been able to go deep into games, which has put a lot of pressure on their bullpen. The Yankees’ bullpen has been one of the best in baseball, but they have been overworked due to the starters’ inability to go deep into games. The Yankees need to add a starter who can eat up some innings and take some pressure off of their bullpen.

Another area of concern for the Yankees is their lack of left-handed pitching. All seven of their regular relievers are right-handed, which can be exploited by opposing teams late in games. The Yankees need to add a left-handed reliever who can come into games and get left-handed hitters out.

The Yankees are currently first in their division and they have one of the best offenses in baseball, so if they can shore up their pitching, they will be a dangerous team in the playoffs.

Hitting

The New York Yankees are in a bit of a hitting slump right now. They have lost four out of their last six games, and their offense has been largely to blame. In those four losses, the Yankees have scored a grand total of seven runs. That simply is not going to get the job done.

The good news is that the Yankees do have some hitting prospects in the minors who could be called up soon to help address this issue. Guys like Clint Frazier and Tyler Austin could provide a boost to the lineup.

In the meantime, though, the Yankees need to find a way to score some runs. They have a lot of talented hitters on their roster, and they need to start performing up to their potential. Otherwise, it is going to be a long summer in New York.

Fielding

The New York Yankees have been one of baseball’s best teams over the last few years, but they have a clear weakness on their roster: fielding. The Yankees have struggled to field the ball cleanly and make the routine plays, and it has cost them games.

The Yankees’ fielding problems came to a head in the 2018 AL Wild Card Game, when they made several costly errors that led to a loss to the Oakland Athaletics. After the game, manager Aaron Boone said that he “felt like we gave away” the game due to the mental mistakes.

The Yankees made some changes to their roster in the offseason, but they did not do enough to address their biggest need. They need to find players who can field the ball cleanly and make the routine plays. Until they do, their fielding will continue to be a weakness.

The Yankees’ Possible Moves

At the moment, the Yankees’ needs seem to be pretty evident. They need a starter, they need a bat, and they need to shore up the bullpen. The question is, who will they get to fill those needs? The Yankees have been linked to a few different starters, but nothing seems to be concrete yet. As for the bat, there have been talks of going after Jay Bruce.

Trade deadline

As the trade deadline approaches, the Yankees have some big decisions to make. They are currently in first place in the AL East, but they have a number of needs that could use some help. The question is: what are the Yankees’ biggest needs right now?

The Yankees’ starting pitching has been their biggest issue all season. They currently have the seventh-worst ERA in baseball, and their starters have been responsible for much of that. The Yankees need to add at least one reliable starter if they want to make a serious run at the playoffs.

The bullpen has also been an issue for the Yankees this season. They currently have the second-worst bullpen ERA in baseball, and they’ve blown a number of leads late in games. The Yankees need to add at least one reliable reliever if they want to sure up their late-inning pitching.

Finally, the Yankees’ offense has been inconsistent all season. They are currently in the bottom half of baseball in runs scored, and they could use a spark at the top of their lineup. The addition of a batting order regular who can get on base and score some runs would be a big help for the Yankees.

The trade deadline is fast approaching, and the Yankees have some big decisions to make. They need to decide which needs are most important to address, and they need to do it quickly. The clock is ticking…

Free agency

With the 2019 MLB offseason now upon us, the New York Yankees have some big decisions to make.

The first order of business is to decide what to do with their pending free agents, which include starting pitchers CC Sabathia and J.A. Happ, infielder/outfielder Brock Holt, and relief pitchers Dellin Betances and Zack Britton.

The Yankees have a $17 million team option for next season on Happ, but it is widely expected that they will decline it and let him hit the open market. The same is true for Sabathia, who just completed the final year of his contract. Both left-handers had solid seasons in 2019 and would be welcomed back on reasonable one- or two-year deals, but the Yankees may prefer to go with younger options in their starting rotation moving forward.

Holt proved to be a valuable utility player for the Yankees this season, appearing in games at every position except pitcher and catcher. He would be a welcome addition back next season on a cheap contract, but the Yankees may opt to go with a more versatile player like DJ LeMahieu or Gio Urshela instead.

The situation with Betances is a bit more complicated. The longtime Yankees reliever missed most of the 2019 season due to injury and then suffered a devastating Achilles tendon tear during his rehab assignment in September. He will almost certainly miss all of 2020 as well, so any team that signs him would be taking on a huge risk. The Yankees have shown interest in re-signing him to a low-cost deal that would include performance-based incentives, but it remains to be seen if he will be willing to take such an offer given his uncertain health status.

Britton was also hampered by injuries this season but was able to return late in the year and pitched well in the postseason. He will likely command a higher salary than Betances on the open market, but he should also have no trouble finding suitors given his track record of success when healthy. The Yankees will likely attempt to bring him back on a short-term deal as well.

In addition to their free agents, the Yankees also have several arbitration-eligible players including starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, infielders Gleyber Torres and Luke Voit, and outfielders Aaron Hicks and Brett Gardner. All four are expected to receive significant raises from their 2019 salaries and could combine to earn upwards of $30 million next season if they all go through arbitration. The Yankees may look to trade one or more of them in order to clear salary space this offseason

Conclusion

While the Yankees have made some moves this offseason to shore up their pitching staff, they still have a ways to go if they want to be World Series contenders in 2020. Their biggest need right now is undoubtedly starting pitching, as they currently only have two legitimate starters in Cole and Tanaka. They need to add at least one more top-of-the-rotation starter if they want to have any chance of competing with the likes of the Astros and Dodgers come October.