By: Sean Cuccaro
As Spring is officially here, many questions will be answered this next month. With James Paxton having spinal surgery to remove a cyst and with Domingo German being suspended for the first 63 games and now Luis Severino needing Tommy John surgery, one of the big questions for the Yankees is who will be the Yankees starter in the back end of the rotation for the upcoming season?
The first candidate is the heavily favored Jordan Montgomery. Jordan has only pitched 2 games since returning from Tommy John surgery. Last year he pitched in 2 games and he had 1 start. He struggled as he had a 6.75 ERA in 4 innings pitched. He also had 5 strikeouts in the process. Although he had a tough 2019 with injuries he has had a decent career. He has pitched in 37 games and he has 36 starts. He is 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA with 172 strikeouts in 186.2 innings pitched. If he can beat out the other pitchers and if Jordan can rebound from his rough 2019, then Montgomery can easily earn the 4th spot in the rotation.
The next pitcher trying to win the 5th spot is a sleeper in Jonathan Loasiga. Loaisiga is coming off a rough 2019 season. Last year he pitched in 15 games and had 4 starts. He was 4-2 with a 4.55 ERA in 31.2 Innings pitched. He also had 37 strikeouts last year. He even pitched in the Postseason for the first time in his career. He had 4 appearances with a 0-0 record with a 3.38 ERA with 3 strikeouts in 2.2 innings pitched. Loaisiga has shown his potential and he has a golden opportunity to shine in Spring Training.
The last pitcher has not started in a year but he is known for his long distance stints. Luis Cessa is a pitcher who can defy odds and win the 5th spot in the rotation. Luis Cessa has struggled in his Yankee tenure and has been rumored to be trade bait. Over his career he has pitched 86 games. He is 7-12 with a 4.50 ERA in 232 innings pitched and he has 19 starts and he even earned 3 saves. He also has 190 strikeouts in his career. He has struggled in his career and if there is a time to turn it around it is right now.
Now obviously when Paxton and German come back whoever wins these roles will move to the bullpen or will get sent down to Scranton/Wilkes Barre. The back end of the rotation will be a vital role in the Yankees rotation and they might even go with the opener Chad Green within the first few months until Paxton and German return. With the season approaching very fast the battle has already begun in Tampa and we will find out the winner in late March. It will be a very important battle with a very exciting season ahead.
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