If this weekend against the Los Angeles Dodgers proved anything, it’s that the New York Yankees still need starting pitching.
New ace Max Fried had his worst start in pinstripes so far on Friday night, but the real killer was Will Warren’s performance on Saturday. The 25-year-old surrendered seven earned runs in only 1 1/3 innings, ballooning his season ERA to 5.19.
Warren strikes out a ton of batters and will be a useful arm to the Yankees in some capacity for many years to come. But New York may very well feel by the end of the season that he’s not ready for a playoff rotation spot.
Fortunately, there may be another solution, thanks to the Yankees’ surprisingly abysmal division rivals, the Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore sits in last place in the American League East at 22-16.
On Sunday, Sara Molnick of Pinstripe Nation named Orioles starter Tomoyuki Sugano, a major league rookie with over a decade of experience in Japan’s NPB, as a top potential trade target for New York.
“At age 35, Sugano has exceeded expectations in his MLB debut season,” wrote. “Known more for finesse than firepower, he carries one of the league’s lowest walk rates. He routinely pitches into the seventh inning and utilizes a deep six-pitch repertoire with tactical command.
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“A rental arm with a manageable salary, Sugano represents (a low-risk option), and more upside than a replacement-level innings-eater. Whether Baltimore would deal him to a division rival remains a major question, but his value on the market cannot be ignored.”
Sugano’s stats are a litmus test for how one views pitching these days. He strikes out no one (35 in 64 innings), and his FIP is high at 4.78. But you can’t argue with a 3.23 ERA, especially when it’s coming from a pitcher giving you six innings per start.
Sugano is on a one-year, $13 million contract, so he’s obviously affordable for the Yankees. If they can convince Baltimore to send him their way, they might be a little more secure in their rotation heading into October.
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