When asked about the Yankees’ needs beyond Juan Soto at MLB’s Owners Meetings last month, Hal Steinbrenner said that his team would do a “deep dive” on its rotation and bullpen.
“I don’t think you can ever have enough pitching,” Steinbrenner said.
While the Yankees currently have six starters — Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Marcus Stroman and Nestor Cortes — the latter two could be moved in trades this winter. Such moves could open up a spot for top free agents Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, who had positive, separate meetings with the Yankees earlier this week, according to multiple reports.
Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay first mentioned Fried’s recent 90-minute Zoom call with the club. Kay added that the longtime Brave has another meeting planned with the Yankees.
Meanwhile, the New York Post reported that nine team officials, including Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone and Matt Blake, were on the call with the left-handed Fried, who has also received interest from the AL East rival Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles.
The Post added that Burnes is open to playing in a big market after six seasons in Milwaukee and one in Baltimore.
Fried went 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA and 166 strikeouts over 29 starts and 174.1 innings for Atlanta while making his second All-Star team last season. The right-handed Burnes, a former Cy Young winner, went 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts over 32 starts and 194.1 innings in his first season with the Orioles.
The two 30-year-olds could be fallback options in the event Soto signs elsewhere, though the cost to acquire one of them and retain the slugger might be too steep for the Yankees, especially with the market for starting pitchers looking rather bullish.
With the Winter Meetings beginning in Dallas on Sunday, other starters still on the open market include Jack Flaherty, Sean Manaea, Nathan Eovaldi and Walker Buehler. The Yankees are also expected to pursue Japanese ace Roki Sasaki once he’s posted.