If the Yankees have felt a sense of urgency to pursue an additional starting pitcher since Jordan Montgomery underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery last week, perhaps that impulse has intensified due to the recent hamstring injuries inhibiting Masahiro Tanaka.
At the moment, the Yankees are without their No. 2 or No. 5 Opening Day rotation arms, and although the team has one of the best records in baseball, starting pitching has been their biggest deficiency. The front office was aware of this during the winter.
Since the pitching market will be relatively thin at this summer’s non-waiver trade deadline, general manager Brian Cashman and his staff may have to think outside the box and get the creative juices flowing in their search.