Originally Posted by
jacksonianmarch
Starters
1. Cole- one of the best starters in baseball, Cole returns as the unquestioned ace of what’s suddenly become one of the deepest rotations in the AL. Still in prime, he’s set up for a monster 21
2. Kluber- Kluber is 2 on this list as I expect the Yanks to separate Taillon and Cole because of their similarities. Kluber has a couple CY’s under his belt, but is more a movement and command guy vs a power guy. Kluber’s issues are two fold. One is age, at 36, most pitchers start to fade. Second is health, having thrown only one inning since May of 2019 after having an arm fracture on a comebacker and a teres tear one inning into his Rangers tenure. If healthy, I expect him to be solid. If healthy and able to show standard stuff, he could be more. Lots of if’s, but on a one year commitment, he’s worth it.
3. Taillon- power, stuff, command, Taillon has ace level stuff. Coming from Pitt, though, he’s been groomed as a sinker baller which will undoubtedly change. If he takes to using his power akin to Cole and Morton before him, he could give Cole a run for his money as the ace. Taillon is a bit different than Kluber in terms of health risk. He missed time with testicular cancer that he’s now cured of. Then he needed TJS which knocked him out for a year and a half. Now 18 months post procedure (20 by opening day), he enters ST fully healthy and could be one of the best acquisitions of the offseason
4. Montgomery- Montgomery had a solid year plus from his debut season, but TJS and bicep issues afterwards wrecked 18 and 19 for him. He returned in 20 with solid peripherals (FIP and xFIP’s in the mid to high 3’s), but problematic production (5.11ERA). His fastball was up a half a tick from his debut season and now that 2021 won’t be a sprint season, I expect Montgomery to show he’s a quality back end major league starter.
5. German- I think German has a leg up for the 5 spot because I think the Yanks would rather Schmidt and Garcia get a little more minor league seasoning. German has stuff to spare and had a solid 19, but his issue isn’t physical, it’s mental. If he’s locked in, he is a quality 5. If he’s still a head case, then he could find himself on a new team shortly
6. Garcia- likely to start 21 in AAA, but will spend a lot of time in the Bronx when a starter goes down. He had a solid debut season and had the moxie and stuff to be a solid starter for a long time.
7. Schmidt- another top 100 prospect with power stuff akin to Taillon. He hasn’t had the chances Garcia has had, but he’s got more power for sure. He will likely spend more time in the Bronx than Garcia, IMO, as I expect Schmidt to transition to the pen at mid season and can be a real asset with his power.
Others
King, Nelson, Loaisiga
In the wings:
Luis Severino- will be healthy come May but will be slow played until his stuff is sharp and crisp. Most post TJS pitchers return around 14 months, but aren’t back to their pre TJS command and power until 18 months, which puts him back to prior in September. I expect him back before then. He’s a legit #2 starter and would be a big boost down the stretch and into the POs