Yankees Hot Corner – Who can replace Jordan Montgomery in Yankees’ rotation?

The New York Yankees were dealt a big blow to their rotation when they found out that starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery will miss the rest of the season and will elect to receive Tommy John surgery.  The normal timeline for recovery from Tommy John surgery is 12-14 months, but because Montgomery is a starting pitcher, we most likely won’t see him until the very end of next season.

It’s a sad day as Montgomery has a lot of potential and it’s disheartening to see such a young pitcher go down with such a devastating injury.  Tommy John surgery isn’t nearly the death sentence it used to be for pitchers, but there are still plenty of cases where pitchers just don’t come back the same.

Montgomery may not seem like an important piece to the roster, but he was reliable as all hell for the Yankees and fit in perfectly at the bottom of the rotation.  He is a crafty lefty and pitched very well at Yankee Stadium.  For the mean time, Domingo German will continue to spot start in the number five pitching hole, but the Yankees will need a long term replacement if they want to make a run at the World Series this year.

There are a few intriguing options, but in all honesty only two that make sense and are realistic.  While Madison Bumgarner, Clayton Kershaw, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard all make sense, there is no way that the Yankees want to either A) pay their ridiculous contracts or B) give up Miguel Andujar or Gleyber Torres.  Bumgarner and Kershaw are two of the highest paid pitchers in the league (Kershaw is number one) and will become a free agent next season.  DeGrom and Syndergaard, or really any of them, would require the Yankees giving up one of their two top prospects.

To answer everyone’s question;  It’s not happening.  The Yankees will not give up Torres, most likely will not give up Andujar and are trying to stay under the $187M luxury tax cap.

There are only two answers to this question, and their names are Cole Hamels and Michael Fulmer.

Michael Fulmer

The most realistic option at this point would be Fulmer.  He is an extremely talented pitcher who is having a terrible year for the Detroit Tigers right now.  Fulmer, a former Mets prospect, is 2-5 with a 4.73 ERA.  He is having a bad year but may be able to turn it around in the Big Apple.  He has all the tools, with three pitches that he uses, a nasty 95-97 MPH fastball, and good location that’s been the crux of his issue.  He has walked a ton of batters this year and his trade value is at an all time low.

Fulmer isn’t going to be your ace, but he can be a serviceable three or four.  If the Yankees are going to make a move, they should pounce on Fulmer before he turns it around.  Having the track record that he has and winning the Rookie of the Year two years ago, I have no problem taking a chance on Fulmer.

Cole Hamels

The more intriguing option for Yankee fans would be Cole Hamels, but he costs a lot more money and will be a much more expensive option from a prospect perspective as well.  Hamels will cost at least Clint Frazier and Billy McKinney, if not more.

Anyway, Hamels is having another solid year.  His record is only 3-5 but he has a 3.63 ERA and has turned it on of late.  He pitches great at Yankee Stadium (we’ve seen him before with both the Rangers and Phillies) and is the exact kind of lefty pitcher the Yankees need.  I would much rather Hamels than Fulmer at this point, but it all depends on the price.  If the Yankees can get him without giving up too much, they can go for both.

Losing Jordan Montgomery is huge, but the Yankees have plenty of options.  They can bring up Chance Adams (who is having a bad year) or Justus Sheffield when fully healthy, but I foresee them making a trade sooner than later.  The Yankees have a loaded prospect pool in the minors that they can use to their advantage.  They’re one of the few teams that can afford to lose some of their top prospects without hindering their future.  The future is now, and Yankee fans are in need of another championship.