When speaking about the potential of signing a big-name free agent pitcher, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman favored the word “culture.” The idea of culture is always the Yankees’ way of lowballing free agent prospects, attempting to sell them on the perennial success of the organization and not the zero’s at the end of the contract.
However, there will be plenty of competition, which will drive up the price for Cole and Strasburg. Cashman will have to be comfortable pushing past the luxury tax if he wishes to grab a top arm to bolster the starting pitching rotation, something he’s been cautious about in recent years.