New York Yankees

The New York Yankees have added to their bullpen by reportedly agreeing to a deal with Darren O'Day. 

Lindsay Adler of The Athletic first reported O'Day had an agreement in place with the Yankees. MLB Network's Jon Heyman added O'Day is guaranteed $2.5 million in 2021 and there's a mutual option for 2022.

The reported addition of O'Day comes after the Yankees traded Adam Ottavino to the Boston Red Sox on Monday. 

Relief pitching is an area of strength for New York heading into 2021. O'Day is joining a group that already includes closer Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Chad Green, Luis Cessa and Jonathan Loaisiga. 

Building a deep bullpen can help ease some of the burden on a starting rotation that seems to lack depth right now. Gerrit Cole is locked in as the Yankees' ace, but there are questions about who will follow him.

Corey Kluber is hoping for a rebound year in 2021 after throwing one inning last year with the Texas Rangers because of a shoulder injury. Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton are still free agents. J.A. Happ left the Yankees to sign with the Minnesota Twins. Jordan Montgomery and Deivi Garcia combined to allow 44 earned runs in 78.1 innings last season. 

O'Day has been a steady reliever since making his big league debut in 2008 with the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander owns a 2.51 ERA in 604 career appearances for five different teams. He posted a 1.25 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 21.2 innings over the past two seasons with the Atlanta Braves. 

In one transaction, a bat belonging to Lou Gehrig could dwarf what the Hall of Famer made during his playing career. 

According to TMZ Sports, SCP Auctions is planning to list one of Gehrig's bats and that the final price could hit $1 million. That figure is more than double what the New York Yankees legend earned ($421,400), per Baseball Reference.

Authenticators were unable to nail down exactly when Gehrig used the lumber at the plate but believe he asked for it to be made in September 1938. As a result, the first baseman may have used it in 1939, when he played just eight games before retiring.

Gehrig gave the bat to Earle Combs, who was a member of the Yankees from 1924-35 and subsequently became a coach for the team. His family held onto the piece of baseball history for decades before deciding to auction it off to the highest bidder.

Brett Gardner's time with the New York Yankees may not be over after all. 

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported the Yankees are "clearly" Gardner's preferred destination as he explores free agency this winter. The 37-year-old has spent his entire MLB career in the Yankees organization after being selected in the third round of the 2005 draft.

New York declined a $10 million option for the 2021 season to retain Gardner, so it's likely any reunion would result in him taking a pay cut. Gardner hit .223/.354/.392 with five home runs and 15 runs batted in during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. FanGraphs' formula gave Gardner only 0.6 wins above replacement, as he saw his offensive performance take a precipitous drop.

The Yankees have been cautious throughout the offseason, seeking lower-cost deals in order to stay under the competitive balance tax. They signed Corey Kluber and traded for Jamison Tallion to shore up their pitching rotation but could use a left-handed bat to balance their righty-heavy lineup.

Gardner is more of a platoon outfielder at this point in his career, but he's a well-regarded teammate who has been a mainstay in New York. If the Yankees want someone who will be relatively low-cost and fit the bill in case of injury, Gardner should slot in—likely at around half the cost of his original 2021 salary. 

Corey Kluber reportedly took a discount to sign his one-year contract with the New York Yankees. 

ESPN's Buster Olney reported the $11 million pact was not the highest offer Kluber received after his January workout, though he did not indicate which teams were interested.

The two-time Cy Young winner has been limited to eight starts over the last two seasons because of injury.

The Yankees have sought lower-cost options to bolster their rotation as they seek to avoid the competitive balance tax. Adding Kluber and trading for Jamison Taillon added only $13.3 million to their payroll, and both have high upside considering their performance level when healthy.

Kluber went 20-7 with a 2.89 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 2018, his most recent healthy season. He was an All-Star for the third time and finished third in the Cy Young voting, the fourth time he's had a top-three finish for pitching's most coveted award.

Despite injuries derailing what was shaping up to be a potential Hall of Fame career, Kluber said he's fully healthy heading into 2021. 

"I don't have a mindset that I need to prove myself to anyone, so to speak," Kluber told Jesse Rogers of ESPN earlier this month before signing with the Yankees. "I just need to show people that I'm healthy. I'm not putting pressure on myself to go out there and do X, Y and Z. It's just about showing teams I'm progressing through a normal offseason."

Even with Kluber's optimism, the Yankees should still likely explore adding another, more reliable arm. Between Kluber, Taillon, Luis Severino and Domingo German (domestic violence suspension), four of the top starters behind Gerrit Cole next season combined for one appearance in 2020.

The New York Yankees strengthened their rotation with Sunday's trade for Jameson Taillon.

The Yankees acquired Taillon in a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, giving up four minor league prospects in return. It could help add another reliable option to the pitching staff that had a lot of inconsistency in 2020 behind ace Gerrit Cole.

Though the rotation still has plenty of question marks, there is plenty of upside heading into 2021 as the squad hopes to contend for a World Series title.

      

Yankees Opening Day Rotation

1. Gerrit Cole

2. Corey Kluber

3. Jameson Taillon

4. Deivi Garcia

5. Jordan Montgomery

       

The Yankees will certainly have plenty of options when it comes to starting pitching.

Cole is the undisputed No. 1 after living up to his $324 million contract he signed last offseason. He finished his first year in New York with a 2.84 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 73 innings, ending up fourth in Cy Young voting.

The problems going into this year was lack of depth behind him, especially without veteran contributors J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka.

Taillon missed all of 2020 after recovering from Tommy John surgery, a procedure that took place in August 2019. 

It gives him time to return in time for the start of the 2021 season, hoping to recreate his production from 2018 when he went 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA for Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old has always been known for his exciting stuff that made him a huge prospect in the minor leagues; he simply needs to stay healthy.

If he stays on the mound, Taillon could provide New York with another front-of-the-rotation starter.

Corey Kluber is a high-upside option as well despite pitching just one inning in 2020 because of injuries. He also had just seven starts in 2019, his final year with Cleveland.

There is no denying his talent, however, earning two Cy Young awards as one of the top pitchers in baseball from 2014-18. He can be a secondary ace and a key postseason fixture if he can return to form.

Deivi Garcia should make the rotation after holding his own in his first six career starts in 2020. The 21-year-old went 3-2 with a 4.98 ERA, walking just six batters in 34.1 innings.

This leaves a spot for Jordan Montgomery, the left-hander who posted a 5.11 ERA last year after returning from elbow surgery. While the raw numbers weren't all great, a 3.87 FIP and 5.22 strikeout-to-walk ratio indicate a bounce-back season is on the way.

Meanwhile, Luis Severino should return from his Tommy John surgery at some point this season, although it might not come until June or July. Domingo German is another possibility for the rotation after he returns from suspension. 

If those players don't reach expectations, Michael King and Jonathan Loaisiga will be available as well.

The result is numerous possibilities for the Yankees as they try to keep runs off the board.

Jameson Taillon's up-and-down career will continue in the Bronx. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates have traded the 29-year-old to the New York Yankees in exchange for four prospects. Miguel Yajure, Roansy Contreras, Maikel Escotto and Canaan Smith are the players headed to Pittsburgh.

ESPN's Jeff Passan first reported the deal.

When it was first reported that New York was interested in bringing Taillon on board, the sides also spoke about first baseman Josh Bell, but Bell eventually ended up with the Washington Nationals.

Following Bell's departure, Pittsburgh made another big offseason move when it traded Joe Musgrove to the San Diego Padres in a three-team deal less than a month after sending Bell to Washington. Moving Taillon as well puts the Pirates in a precarious position concerning their starting rotation, which now includes Chad Kuhl, Steven Brault, JT Brubaker, Mitch Keller, Cody Ponce and Wil Crowe.

Taillon, whom the Pirates drafted out of high school with the second overall pick in 2010, appeared in 82 games for Pittsburgh over four seasons but hasn't been able to reach his ceiling throughout an injury-plagued career.

He showed flashes of his potential in 2018, his only complete season, when he made 32 starts and went 14-10 with a 3.20 ERA, striking out 179 and walking 46 while tossing a pair of complete games—one of which was a shutout.

But Taillon didn't get a chance to follow up that success, as his 2019 campaign ended in August after just seven starts. He underwent Tommy John surgery, and his recovery kept him out for the 2020 season. 

That was his second time undergoing that procedure, with his first UCL repair causing him to miss the first of two consecutive seasons in the minor leagues. He sat out 2014 to rehab, and he was sidelined in 2015 with an inguinal hernia. 

After a rookie campaign that saw him go 5-4 through 18 starts in 2016, Taillon faced another off-field obstacle when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He had successful surgery and returned to the game after five weeks, ending the season with a 4.44 ERA through 25 starts. 

With the Yankees, Taillon will slot into a rotation that already boasted Gerrit Cole and Luis Severino at the forefront before Corey Kluber became one of the newest MLB stars to wear pinstripes. There's plenty of promise on the hill, provided everyone can produce a healthy 2021 campaign. Severino is joining Taillon in coming back from Tommy John surgery, while Kluber hasn't pitched since he broke his arm in May 2020.

The New York Yankees were listed as a possible landing spot for Yasiel Puig, but Jon Heyman of MLB Network countered that there is "no evidence Yankees have interest" in the outfielder.

Jim Bowden of CBS Sports previously reported the Yankees, Kansas City Royals and Miami Marlins were all "possibilities" for Puig.

Though the one-time All-Star could add depth to New York's lineup, Heyman noted the squad is instead seeking left-handed batters with several other right-handed outfielders already on the roster.

The Yankees currently have Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Clint Frazier and Miguel Andujar capable of playing outfield, although Judge and Stanton have missed significant time over the past two years due to injuries. Andujar also only has seven career games in the outfield, all in left field.

Puig could be a high-upside option despite not playing at all in 2020.

The 30-year-old was reportedly set to sign with the Atlanta Braves last year but moved on after he announced in July he tested positive for COVID-19.

When healthy, Puig has proved to be an impact player with 75 home runs across his last three seasons. The right fielder was also an efficient hitter during his 49-game stretch with the Cleveland Indians, producing a .297/.377/.423 slash line.

This production could help him land a new job this offseason, even if it's not in New York.

The New York Yankees have reached out to the Pittsburgh Pirates on the availability of starter Jameson Taillon, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.

Earlier on Saturday, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand and Adam Berry reported the Pirates were looking to move Taillon this offseason, possibly in the coming days. Pittsburgh offloaded pitcher Joe Musgrove earlier this winter and could be looking to sell high on Taillon as well.

Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first reported the Yankees' interest in Taillon in early December as the offseason was just getting underway. Now that free agency has begun to move a bit more quickly, the two sides are in talks once again.

Taillon made seven starts with a 4.10 ERA, 1.125 WHIP and 30 strikeouts in 37.1 innings in 2019. The righty underwent surgery to repair his UCL that August, forcing him to miss the 2020 season. He is likely to return to the mound in spring training. He also happens to be on a club-friendly deal after settling for a one-year, $2.25 million contract and avoiding arbitration this offseason.

Just what kind of return the Pirates are after—as well as what the Yankees feel comfortable parting with—remains unclear.

New York's starting rotation already rivals its American League peers with Gerrit Cole, Corey Kluber and Domingo German. Adding Taillon to that list would solidify the rotation for years to come.

After re-signing DJ LeMahieu already this offseason, the New York Yankees are looking at various ways to upgrade their pitching staff before the start of spring training. 

Per Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, the Yankees are "scouring" the free agent and trade markets for starting pitchers and relievers. 

One source told Kuty the Yankees are "talking to everybody," but there is currently "nothing close."

The Yankees added to their starting rotation last week by taking a flier on Corey Kluber with a one-year deal for $11 million, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. 

Kluber is an upside play for the team coming off two injury-plagued seasons. The two-time American League Cy Young winner has made eight starts since 2019. He was pulled from his first start with the Texas Rangers last season after one inning because of shoulder tightness that was later diagnosed as a torn teres major muscle. 

New York's rotation heading into 2021 looks like a major question mark. Gerrit Cole is the one sure thing, but Kluber has to prove he can stay healthy. Kuty noted that Luis Severino, who had Tommy John surgery last February, may not be ready until July. 

J.A. Happ, Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton are all free agents. Deivi Garcia has tremendous promise, but he's only 21 years old and had a 4.98 ERA in six starts last season. 

The Yankees have a lot of talent in the lineup and bullpen to compete for a World Series. Their lack of depth in the starting rotation is a glaring hole, but they have time to address that issue before spring training begins next month. 

  

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge is confident the 2021 MLB season will stay on schedule despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I think it's going to start on time—I don't see why not," Judge said Thursday, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "I'm ready. We're excited. We've been training since our last game in October to get ready for the season. I'm excited to see some familiar faces again in Tampa and go back to work on what we started."

The 2020 campaign was heavily impacted by the pandemic, initially delayed in March and pushed back during negotiations between players and owners. The regular season eventually got started in late July with a shortened 60-game schedule, and it concluded with the Los Angeles Dodgers as champions in October.

While the coronavirus remains an issue throughout the United States, the 2021 MLB season is currently on track to begin on April 1.

The Yankees play their first spring training game on Feb. 27 shortly after pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 15.

Commissioner Rob Manfred also told clubs the season should start on time, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Per Nightengale, MLB was hoping to delay the start of the year by a month to allow for players to get vaccinated but the MLBPA "vigorously fought it."

A relatively normal season would give Judge a better chance to reestablish himself as one of the game's premier power hitters. Injuries limited the outfielder to just 28 games games in 2020 while he missed at least 50 games in each of the previous two years.

Judge had 52 home runs while winning Rookie of the Year in 2017 but hit just 63 in the three years since.

The Yankees will need the slugger at his best if they want to reach their lofty expectations in 2021.