By: Nathaniel Ascher
The New York Yankees recently added another power bat to their lineup. In exchange for Juan Then, a young pitching prospect, the Yankees received 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion. Edwin, 36, currently leads the AL in homers with 22. He is known for his infamous home run trot, which includes a parrot. He also crushes against the AL East. In 129 games against the Red Sox, Encarnacion has a .271 batting average with 33 HRs and 101 RBIs. You could say that the Yankees did not NEED Encarnacion, but their acquisition of him stopped other potential AL East teams from getting him. Even after this trade, the Yankees’ hole is still eminent: their starting rotation.
Everybody knows that the Yankees will be active come July. They have already begun scooping out potential acquisitions, including Matt Boyd, Marcus Stroman, and of course, Madison Bumgarner. But, which one of these options is the best? While Max Scherzer is undoubtedly the best potential starting pitcher available, the reality of the Nationals parting ways with him is unlikely. And, if they were to ship him off to a contender, their asking price would be remarkably high. If the Yankees were to acquire him, their farm system would be depleted. So, who’s the best realistic starting pitcher the Yankees could trade for? Madison Bumgarner.
Although many people think Marcus Stroman is better than Madison Bumgarner, that is just simply not the case. Bumgarner has a better career ERA, WHIP, ERA+, FIP, W-L%, BB/9, K/9, and H/9 ratio. If the Yankees were to acquire Stroman, they would have him under team control until the end of the 2020 season. Bumgarner, on the other hand, is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. This may help out the Yankees, as they may have to give up less for him than for Stroman. Bumgarner is DOMINANT in the postseason as well, something most of the current Yankees’ starters lack. Besides Masahiro Tanaka, who tends to give up the long ball, and C.C. Sabathia, who is 38 years old, the Yankees have no one who has a lot of success in the playoffs. This is where where Madison Bumgarner comes in.
The Yankees know that they will acquire at least one solid starter this season. They may even try and acquire Max Scherzer, if they’re willing to break the bank and their farm system. But, if they decide not to do that, they NEED to pursue Madison Bumgarner. Potential players the Yankees could trade away for Bumgarner include Clint Frazier, Estevan Florial, Domingo Acevedo, and Jonathan Loasiga. One thing’s for certain: the Yankees will be a serious threat to win it all if they make a splash for a starting pitcher.
Will the Yankees make their competition MAD by acquiring MAD Bum?
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