The New York Yankees were going to trade for a starting pitcher this offseason. After being easily bested by the Boston Red Sox in the ALDS this season — only to see their hated rival go on to win the World Series — the Yankees had a clear flaw they needed to fix.
So it wasn’t a secret they would get some big name starting pitcher to fill one of the few gaps they have in their current configuration.
For a time, they seemed like the perfect candidate to grab one of the Indians’ gettable pitchers (assuming the Indians front office isn’t blowing smoke), be it Corey Kluber or Carlos Carrasco.