MLB rumors: More dots connecting Diamondbacks’ Patrick Corbin to Yankees this winter?

As the Yankees debate which arm to throw in October, a true ace could be arriving in the offseason.

Help could be on the way–for 2019.

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As the Yankees debate which starter to throw in the American League Wild Card Game next month, no perfect option is present.

Sure, Masahiro Tanaka has been excellent in the second half. But he can be around the strike zone and give up too many home runs.

J.A. Happ is a solid veteran, but not the kind of high-strikeout, nasty-stuff kind of starter that you’d expect to blow fastballs and unhittable stuff past hitters in the big spot.

Luis Severino has that kind of arsenal, but has been lost for most of the season.

Regardless of how the 2019 postseason ends up for the Yankees, a difference-making arm could be headlining next year’s rotation during the season and October: Diamondbacks lefty Patrick Corbin.

Dots have been connecting Corbin to the Yankees all season. The latest: ESPN’s Buster Olney reporting that other teams ‘assuming’ that Corbin will land in the Bronx.

He has a staggering 230 strikeouts in 186 innings, and only 42 walks and 14 homers allowed, with a 3.05 ERA. Corbin is a native New Yorker and grew up a Yankees fan, and given the Yankees’ needs and their improved payroll flexibility for 2019, many evaluators assume it’s more likely than not that the 29-year-old Corbin will land in the Bronx.

If the Yankees spend big this winter, Corbin certainly makes sense as a potential target–especially with the older Happ as a free agent. Signing Corbin could give the Yankees a big three of Corbin, Severino and Tanaka atop next year’s rotation.

MLB magic numbers

Here’s where Corbin ranks among all MLB starters this season:

WAR: 3rd

FIP: 4th

K/9: 8th

ERA: 13th

Joe Giglio may be reached at jgiglio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeGiglioSports. Find NJ.com on Facebook.