TwitterStep One
20 Nov 2012
Buster Olney is reporting that the Yankees have reached an agreement with Hiroki Kuroda on a one-year deal for $15-million plus incentives that are less than a million. This is very good news.
Now the Yankees know they head into the season with Kuroda and Sabathia atop their rotation. They will probably bring back Andy Pettitte and they still have Hughes, Nova and Phelps all ready to go as well. This gives them options. They could dangle Hughes in the trade market and see if someone will give them something good back. They can bring Pettitte back and go into camp with six starters. (Not a bad idea as we saw this year.) And, when Swisher and Soriano leave, which is almost a certainty, the Yankees will rack up two additional draft picks.
Nov 23, 2012 @ 17:27:50
Peter – Hughes is not someone I would put up for auction. He’s young, somewhat inexpensive and effective – plus like we all know and you point out, you can never have enough pitching. Even having 7 arms break camp can quickly become not enough. The interesting competition in ST, for me, will be between Phelps and Nova.
Nov 23, 2012 @ 21:30:13
Mitchell
The only reason I would even consider it is because he is a free agent after 2013. If he pitches like the Yankees expect/want him to, he will certainly command a deal of 10+ million a year in the free agent market. If the Yankees are going to get to 189 million, I am not sure they can afford to pay that.
Nov 24, 2012 @ 23:05:35
Peter – Yes, you are absolutely right that he will command big $ in 14, but I think we have a 2013 problem and he’s a solution.
Yikes, I am starting to think like Cashman: win today, worry about tomorrow .. tomorrow.
Nov 25, 2012 @ 20:24:31
Mitchell
Yup, trading Hughes now would create a 2013 problem, but say the Royals offered Wil Myers. I think the Yankees do it in a heartbeat.