With their staff in final place within the AL East at 55–51 and three.5 video games again of the Blue Jays for the third Wild Card, the Yankees’ entrance workplace teetered forwards and backwards between “purchaser” and “vendor” upfront of the commerce deadline. The reality is, the Bombers’ playoff odds had been in a tailspin for the reason that starting of July; it might have been unthinkable for them to promote on July 4, once they reached their month-to-month excessive of 75%, however at 23.1% on the finish of the month, their determination ought to have been simply as clear.
As a substitute, the Yankees did little of something. Apparently, they have been trying to be “stunned” for his or her leases, per The Athletic’s Marc Carig, they usually by no means have been, in order that they largely stood pat. The final staff to enter the deadline foray, their “headliner” acquisition was Keynan Middleton; as detailed in our reliever roundup, he price them 21-year-old lottery ticket Juan Carela. Whereas New York’s bullpen scuffled to the tune of a 4.01 ERA and 4.82 FIP in July, the unit has pitched to strong 3.10/3.93 marks on the season, good for first and tied for sixth, respectively, within the majors. Buying a reliever was unlikely to maneuver the needle for a fringe contender within the first place, but it surely additionally represented solely a marginal enchancment in comparison with the Yankees’ in-house choices, particularly with Jonathan Loáisiga’s return on the horizon.
That stated, regardless that their acquisition of Spencer Howard from the Rangers for money may be regarded as a “purchase” within the literal sense and one other addition of a reliever at that, it’s a distinct beast than including Middleton. For starters, all it price the Yankees was cash, which they’ve oodles of. Howard can also be below staff management for one more 4 years. The hurler is optionable and poised to start his tenure in pinstripes at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but it surely’s straightforward to see him getting some play towards the tip of the season both within the wake of accidents or if the Yankees fall additional within the standings.
If the Yankees discover themselves out of rivalry sooner quite than later, Howard represents an attention-grabbing reclamation mission of kinds. He graduated prospectdom with 4 plus pitches however dropped to 56th general in our rankings heading into 2021 as a result of recurrent shoulder issues. Mechanical modifications and bodily remedy that offseason helped hold his shoulder wholesome in ’21, however he as a substitute battled blisters, COVID-19, and ineffectiveness on the main league stage with each the Phillies and Rangers. Towards the tip of 2022, the shoulder points returned and carried into this season, as he missed two months with a lat pressure.
But by all of it, Howard has continued to showcase tantalizing strikeout potential in Triple-A, with a 31.7% Ok price in opposition to a palatable 9.7% stroll price in 101 innings at that stage. In 18.1 innings this season, he’s set down 40% of the batters he’s confronted on strikes. Whereas he hasn’t gone greater than three innings in any of his Triple-A appearances this 12 months, maybe what Howard wants is an extended look as a full-time reliever. In spite of everything, one among his greatest points has been maintaining velocity deep into video games, rendering the affect of his starter’s repertoire moot. Whereas his array of pitches is attractive, the stamina would possibly simply not be there; it is likely to be time to see if all of his choices might flip him right into a reduction ace as a substitute.
With the additions of Max Scherzer, Jordan Montgomery, and Aroldis Chapman, Howard had fallen far on the Rangers’ pitching depth chart. The previous second-rounder’s volatility was working in opposition to him; given their win-now standing, they’d in all probability quite flip to a extra secure presence within the occasion of additional accidents. But when the Yankees fall far sufficient within the standings, they may as nicely give Howard an prolonged look. A small concession for Yankees followers, sure, however largely sitting out the commerce deadline could have enabled them to choose up a possible reduction gem that fell prey to a roster crunch.