Yankees Should Pivot to These Starting Pitchers After Missing on Luis Castillo

Here are three arms the Yankees could pursue before Tuesday's deadline now that Luis Castillo is off the table.

Author:
Max Goodman
Updated:
Jul 31, 2022 5:48 PM EDT
Original:
Jul 30, 2022

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NEW YORK — With Luis Castillo no longer on the board for the Yankees, it's time for New York to pivot.

Even if the Yankees missed out on their top starting pitcher target ahead of this year's deadline, there are other talented options available, other ace-caliber arms that may be on the move in the next few days.

Castillo was traded from the Reds to the Mariners on Friday in a deal including three of Seattle's top-five prospects. According to MLB insider Mark Feinsand, the Yankees were "close" in trade talks for Castillo. It looks like Cincinnati was simply blown away by the decisive offer that came from the Mariners.

How could they not be? The Reds got a haul in return for their ace, who had an additional year of control after this season, subsequently setting a high bar for stud starters that are on the open market ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

So, where should the Yankees go from here?

New York can't throw in the towel after losing in the Castillo sweepstakes. With Luis Severino on the injured list, Nestor Cortes breezing past his career-high in innings and Jameson Taillon scuffling over the last few months, the Yankees' starting rotation needs reinforcements.

The Yankees could go for cheaper options, bolstering the bottom of the staff with reliable arms that can eat up innings. New York is reportedly interested in José Quintana of the Pirates, a left-hander who is having a resurgent season in Pittsburgh. Former Mets ace Noah Syndergaard is on New York's radar as well leading up to the deadline, a right-hander that has shown flashes of his old form with the Angels this year.

Judging by this club's interest in Castillo, though, New York is aiming to address the top of the rotation, giving ace Gerrit Cole a right-hand man for the stretch run and beyond.

That in mind, here are three of the best starting pitchers that could be traded in the next few days. We know for certain that the first name listed below is a candidate to be moved. The other two might stay put, but would be tremendous fits in pinstripes if their respective clubs elect to sell before Tuesday.

Three Starting Pitchers the Yankees Could Target Before the MLB Trade Deadline

With Luis Castillo no longer available, here are three of the best options for the Yankees to pursue before Tuesday's deadline.

Frankie Montas

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Frankie Montas is now the Yankees' top starter target following the Castillo trade.

Montas has been magnificent for the A's these last few years. After posting a 3.37 ERA over 32 starts last year, the right-hander has pitched to the tune of a 3.18 ERA over his first 19 starts this season (with 109 strikeouts in 104.2 innings pitched). The 28-year-old has one more year of arbitration in 2023 before he's scheduled to hit free agency.

New York has been linked to Montas since this spring. It'll take a talented group of prospects to get him from the Athletics, as other contenders look to acquire him as well, but he's certainly worth the price of admission.

Speaking of competition, MLB Network's Jon Morosi noted on Sunday that the market for Montas is "focused on the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Cardinals." Will any of those three clubs be able to make a trade happen before Tuesday?

Pablo López

Miami Marlins SP Pablo Lopez pitching — Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

After making the postseason during the pandemic-shortened campaign in 2020, the Marlins looked like they were scratching the surface of contention, a rising threat in the NL East. Instead, Miami has settled back into sub-.500 mediocrity just a few years later, looking like sellers once again at this year's deadline.

Heyman reported a few days ago that "everyone not named Sandy Alcantara is available" from Miami's roster leading up to the deadline.

Does that include their No. 2 starter Pablo López?

According to Craig Mish and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Marlins are "no longer dismissing the calls" they've been getting about López. Joe Frisaro added in The Palm Beach Post that "there’s a belief the Marlins will get plenty of tempting offers for their No. 2 starter," with teams like the Yankees scouting López during his latest start against the Reds.

Still, there are no guarantees Miami would move the right-hander. He's only 26 years old with two additional years of control after this season. Not to mention the fact that López is earning just $2.5 million this year, one of the biggest bargains in baseball considering the numbers he's been producing (3.03 ERA in 20 starts).

The reason the Marlins can potentially afford to trade away one of their best players is they have a surplus of pitching in their organization. Trading López would give Miami a chance to recoup some offensive talent while opening a spot in the rotation for the likes of Jesús Luzardo and Edward Cabrera when they return from the injured list (and for the next few years). Miami's top two prospects are also starting pitchers (Eury Pérez and Max Meyer, who is out for the foreseeable future due to Tommy John surgery).

Again, don't look at López the way fans and pundits examined Castillo's situation leading up to the deadline. Same for Montas. If the Marlins get a stunning offer with a mix of young big-league talent and highly-touted prospects, however, it'd be hard for them to say no. Perhaps the Yankees can build a package around players like Estevan Florial or Miguel Andújar who don't factor into their big-league equation and have shown flashes at that level. It would take much more than that to get this done, though.

Carlos Rodón

The Yankees showed interest in Carlos Rodón this offseason, considering the left-hander as they examined their starting rotation for the 2022 campaign.

Rodón ended up signing with the Giants, a team looking to get back to the playoffs after their memorable 107-win season and NL West division title.

This year has been a different story for San Francisco. They're sitting at 49-51 entering play on Saturday, outside of the playoff picture in the National League.

ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted earlier this week that the Giants aren't selling and they intend to keep players like Rodón. Heyman followed with a tweet on Saturday, saying the Giants are now "listening" on veterans like Rodón and Joc Pederson.

Rodón has an opt out in his contract at the end of this year and could walk, giving the Giants nothing in return. If San Francisco doesn't think they have what it takes to contend over the next few months, they can trade him and get talent back.

The former White Sox hurler has a 3.18 ERA over 20 starts with 148 strikeouts this year in a Giants uniform. Rodón is among the best in baseball when it comes to strikeout rate (90th percentile, striking out 31.4% of the batters he's faced). He made the All-Star Game this year as well, his second All-Star season in a row (after a career year with Chicago in 2021).

It's easy to picture how a pitcher like Rodón fits into New York's rotation down the stretch and you have to figure the Yankees are one of the teams monitoring San Francisco's situation over the final few days leading up to the deadline.

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