The New York Yankees must decide if they are going to be buys or sellers at the MLB trade deadline. While the Yankees are certainly looking like contenders as the halfway point of the season approaches, but minor adjustments might need to be made especially to the pitching rotation. As the Yankees continue to deal with injuries, a slumping CC Sabathia is not helping the cause. Could the team acquire a pitcher to help bolster the rotation?
According to Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com, the Yankees continue to try and give Sabathia extra rest by pushing his starts because he is struggling heavily on the mound at the moment. Heading into the All-Star break, Sabathia is the weak link of the pitching rotation. According to Marchand, despite his struggles, the Yankees are unwilling to remove him from the rotation simply because he is owed $50 million over the next two years and they need something for that money. However, will it cause them to eye pitchers at the trade deadline?
According to NJ.com, the idea of the Yankees making a trade for a pitcher is not out of the question. According to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees have several options of players that would be the ideal fit for the team to eventually take over Sabathia's spot. The first on the board could be Jeff Samardzija who is set to be a free agent next year. The Chicago White Sox pitcher would simply be a short-term fix for the Yankees, but affordable for the year.
The Boston Globe is reporting that Johnny Cueto will be an option, but teams are concerned that the Cincinnati Reds star is not healthy. The Yankees are keeping tabs on him, sending scouts to Reds games to look at Cueto along with Mike Leake and a deal could be explored at the deadline. The Globe is also writing that Clay Buchholz is an option for the team considering how poorly the Red Sox are playing this season. If the team decides they want to be sellers at the deadline, he could be the first up in a deal.
Marchand writes that the Yankees are not ready to give up on Sabathia, but skipping him in starts is the first signs of potentially moving on. According to reports, he is healthy and is in a steep slump at the moment. If Sabathia cannot pull himself together, the future might not be as bright going forward.
