Earlier Saturday, the New York Yankees placed Masahiro Tanaka on the disabled list due to shoulder discomfort. Tanaka is the second starter the Yankees have lost this week, joining CC Sabathia. Early word suggests the Yankees could well turn to prospect Chance Adams to fill in for Tanaka.
Even so, we wondered who the Yankees might be able to land if they went outside the organization for help. As such, we gathered five pitchers who would presumably be acquirable through a waiver trade, should the Yankees (or anyone else) meet the asking price. The pitchers are presented in alphabetical order.
R.A. Dickey's story is the same as it has been in recent seasons, as he's a victim of fielding independent measures never accurately gauging knucklers. Dickey's ugly peripherals aside, he's managed to again post an above-average ERA. He has an $8 million club option for next season that can be bought out for $500,000, meaning the Atlanta Braves may well keep him around and shop him during the winter. But if the Yankees wanted to add an unusual look to their pitching staff, Dickey would make sense.
If Marco Estrada could, he'd probably flip last season and this season to give him more momentum as he heads into free agency. Estrada can't, though, so he and his supporters will be left pointing out that he's upped his strikeout rate and maintained his strikeout-to-walk ratio. Of course, the problem here is he's been more prone to home runs and walks. Still, the changeup artist could prove to be an asset if he's allowed to slot in near the back of someone's rotation down the stretch.
Hey, nobody said the names were going to be sexy. Scott Feldman deserves some respect all the same, since he's pitching better than most anyone realizes. Through 19 starts with the Cincinnati Reds, he's managed a 102 ERA+ and 2.53 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Feldman has had some issues with the long ball, and just came off the DL on Saturday, but he seems like a fine back-end starter who shouldn't cost much to add.
If you recall, Derek Holland started the season well. He entered June with a sub-3 ERA, and looked like he was en route to earning a multi-year deal this winter. So much for that. Holland had a miserable two-month run that saw him give up 69 hits, 50 runs, and 17 homers in 45 2/3 innings. A team hoping for a bounce back might take a shot on Holland. They would be wise to check their optimism at the door, however, since he turns 31 in October and hasn't been an effective big-league starter since 2013.
YAnother member of the Chicago White Sox rotation. Miguel Gonzalez's overall numbers are ugly to the point they obscure how well he's pitched recently. Since the All-Star Break, he's started 11 times and collected a 3.03 ERA and 36 more strikeouts than walks. He's also done a good job of keeping the ball in the yard, allowing just four home runs. Gonzalez is a free agent at season's end, but could be a useful back-end starter until then.
