The 2011 season will be remembered as a season that has left many New York Yankee fans scratching their heads. The Yankees had a very productive regular season, finishing at the top of the crop in an ever competitive American League East. The Yanks went 97-65 and boasted a .599 win percentage, giving them a healthy six game lead over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. It wasn’t until October; however, that the Bronx Bombers’ weaknesses were brutally exposed by the Detroit Tigers in the American League Divisional Series.
This off season, the Yankees will look to add much needed depth to their rotation, and possibly acquire a catcher or a versatile utility player that could give senior players like Alex Rodriguez or Derek Jeter a rest once in a while. As always, money will not be an issue for the Yankees this off season and they should have the financial muscle to outbid any team in the majors. There are three pitchers that the Yankees have been linked to during the course of this offseason that they would be smart to acquire, Mark Buehrle, Yu Darvish and CJ Wilson. Although a catcher and a utility player would certainly prove useful for next season, at this point the main priority should be pitching. The Yankees need an ace that could ease the pressure off of CC Sabathia. The Yanks also have a great number two in Ivan Nova, who will only improve after his extraordinary season. Freddy Garcia will also prove his worth next season, as he is a very calm pitcher and should be able to get at least ten wins under his belt. However, the Yanks need to replace A.J. Burnett if they want to improve on their 97 wins during the regular season, as he has proven that he just can’t cut it in New York. This leaves the Yankees with CC Sabathia, Ivan Nova, Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes. The Yankees have to do their best to acquire one of either CJ Wilson, Mark Buehrle or Yu Darvish
Out of the four listed above, Mark Buehrle seems to be the most likely to sign. He is a free agent, and has been a very consistent and reliable pitcher for the past decade. Buehrle has not been hit by any major injuries and has consistently played over 200 innings a year. Buehrle has a career ERA of 3.83, and although he is 32, he should be able to give the Yankees a solid thee to four seasons of consistency on the mound He is also a lefty which is always a plus.
Another free agent the Yanks have been linked to is CJ Wilson. Wilson is a young pitcher who has been a consistent starter for the Texas Rangers for the past three seasons. The Yankees should stay away from Wilson, as he is very unproven in the post season with a 2-4 record in the Rangers run in the post season, and has not done anything spectacular to earn him the 120 million dollar contract he is looking for. Wilson is a quality pitcher, and may even be worth the gamble, but I think its best if the Yankees stay away from him.
This leaves us with Yu Darvish, the Japanese ace that has MLB teams scrambling for his signature. Darvish has impressed many with his 1.32 ERA in the Japanese league, and also showcasing his talent for Japan at the World Baseball Classic. He has been phenomenal in the Japanese league and the switch to the majors may be a tough one, but I think if the Yankees take the gamble it will pay off big time.
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