It’s falling like flies for the New York Yankees, the last in line to turn around on the injured list being pitchers Carlos Rodon, Tommy Kahnle and Lou Trivino.
As already mentioned, if the bullpen is deep enough to make up for the loss of the relievers, it is quite different in the starting rotation, since Frankie Montas is already on the floor.
Which means that Domingo German and Clarke Schmidt will end up in starting roles number four and five, respectively. In a competitive division like the American League East, this really isn’t the ideal situation.
The general manager of the Bronx Bombardiers, Brian Cashman, could then turn to reinforcements from outside.
And that’s where Chris Flexen’s name comes up. With the depth of the Seattle Mariners on the mound, many expect the right-hander to be sent elsewhere by the start of the 2023 campaign.
In 33 outings during the 2022 season, Flexen maintained a 3.73 earned run average. He will become free as air at the end of this campaign.
Although he didn’t repeat his feats of 2021 last season, the California native has great control and forces hitters to hit the ball on the ground.
Flexen is proving an attractive addition for the Yankees, considering his age and the $8 million salary he commands, even though it would put them over the luxury tax threshold.
At some point, you have to stop saving money. With the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays pushing for the top of the division, the start of the season will be important and there is no question of letting them slip away on the pretext that we must restrict ourselves to the mass level salary.
