Just because the Yankees locked up CC Sabathia for at least another five years doesn’t mean they are done putting together next year’s rotation.
That includes Brian Cashman admitting he would consider moving A.J. Burnett.
Asked about Burnett’s role next season during a conference call to announce the GM’s new three-year contract, Cashman said, “If he’s with us, without a doubt he’s in the rotation.”
Finding any takers for the right-hander — who will be 35 in January, has two years and $33 million remaining on a contract that also contains a partial no-trade clause — is much easier said than done.
But it was clear that on the day the team announced Cashman agreed to stay, the GM’s focus will be on one thing this offseason: “Pitching, pitching, pitching.”
Cashman’s deal, a source said, is for a slight raise over the $2 million per year he made under his last contract.
Cashman backed off from the uncertainty involving Burnett, who has finished with an ERA over 5.00 each of the past two years, later in the call.
“He’s given us about 200 innings the last two years and there’s value in that, at the very least,” Cashman said. “He’s got a great deal of ability, he stays healthy, he’s accountable and he’s worked his tail off. Obviously, he’s had to deal with adversity because of his inconsistent performance. He hasn’t shied away from it [and] he still stepped up in October and secured one of our only two wins in that Tiger series. … I’m still optimistic we can get all that from him and that better days are ahead.”
After Sabathia, the Yankees have plenty of unknowns in their rotation. Ivan Nova had an excellent rookie season, but then there’s Burnett and not much else. They don’t know what they are going to get out of Phil Hughes, and after picking up Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon off the free agent scrap heap last year, they were rewarded with unexpectedly strong seasons from each veteran.
“Last year, we found some real benefits in the cheap sections,” Cashman said. “Some of the best free-agent signings last year were in the low-rent district, and we were beneficiaries of that, but it’s not the way you want to go.”
Rangers free agent C.J. Wilson and Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish are available. The Yankees haven’t had much success with Japanese imports over the years, but Cashman said he believes that could change.
“We’re more prepared today than we have been in the past about how to evaluate players over there,” Cashman said. “We’ve educated ourselves with past experiences.”
Even while acknowledging the Yankees’ bats went silent in the ALDS, Cashman sounded confident that they have enough firepower to compete next season, including with Nick Swisher in right field. Exercising Swisher’s $10.5 million option, Cashman said, was “an easy call.”
“Offense is not a problem with this club, despite what obviously happened in the Detroit series in the first week of October,” Cashman said. “I don’t think we’re offensively challenged at all. Our main focus will be to reinforce the pitching rotation and depth. It doesn’t mean I’m not open-minded to anything else.”
Cashman said he wasn’t concerned about Swisher, who followed another productive regular season with an ugly playoff series.
“His postseasons had nothing to do with it,” Cashman said. “He’s one of the best offensive right fielders in the game. We’re lucky to have him.”
Additional reporting by George A. King III