Yankees Need to Get an Ace and Stop Messing Around With Targets Like Robbie Ray
By Sean Facey
The Yankees have been in the market for a starter practically all season. Young star Luis Severino has been sidelined with injury since the start of the year and New York has been looking for an arm to fill the void.
That being said, any old pitcher won't do. The Yankees need to deal for an ace, not mid-tier targets like Robbie Ray who they've been linked to recently.
Report: Yankees "Historically Have Liked" Robbie Ray https://t.co/w4f8liFxKj pic.twitter.com/ZyKhaMWrZA
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) July 9, 2019
Twice in the past two years the Yankees have dealt for middle of the rotation arms, and twice they've underwhelmed. Sonny Gray struggled from the moment he was dealt in 2017, and JA Happ folded in critical games last season, continuing to struggle this year.
They have the prospects needed to make a deal, and are far enough away from the top luxury tax threshold that they can afford to go all out for a star like Madison Bumgarner or Trevor Bauer. Why waste assets on another mediocre arm? It's a complete waste of time and effort.
.@Ken_Rosenthal reported that the #Yankees have checked in on Robbie Ray of the #DBacks: “The Yankees are among the teams that have historically liked Diamondbacks lefty Robbie Ray.” Ray's stats: 3.96 ERA, 5-6, 137 SO, 104.2 IP. Another possible trade target for the Yanks.
— Yankees Source ™ (@NYYTalks) July 9, 2019
Guys like Robbie Ray aren't going to get the job done. The Yankees need to get someone who's spent time as the top dog in the rotation and can handle playing on a big stage.
There are plenty of bonafide stars like Bumgarner or Marcus Stroman that could greatly boost the Yankees' pitching staff. They need to learn from their mistakes from the past two years, bite the bullet, and go after them.