MLB rumors: Why Diamondbacks’ Patrick Corbin to Yankees is a ‘likely’ fit

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman traded for Seattle Mariners left-hander James Paxton on Monday, November 19, 2018 (11/19/18). Will Cashman still try to sign Houston Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel or Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin?

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has approached the beginning of the offseason knowing he needs to add at least two arms to his starting rotation for 2019.

He got one of those on Monday, when he traded for Seattle Mariners left-hander James Paxton.

However Cashman still has plenty of pitching options in free agency, including Dallas Keuchel, J.A. Happ, Nathan Eovaldi and Patrick Corbin.

Grant Brisbee from SB Nation explains why the Yankees are “likely” fit for Corbin:

The New York Yankees have spent an awful lot of time and money building the kind of super bullpen that can power through a postseason. They’ve also spent a lot of time and money building the kind of super lineup that can club enough dingers to give that bullpen a lead. What they haven’t been able to do is build a super rotation, even though it’s not through lack of trying. Both Masahiro Tanaka and Sonny Gray were expensive in different ways, and those investments hint that the Yankees aren’t forsaking the rotation to focus on other strengths. They just haven’t had a ton of luck.

Corbin didn’t allow a lot of home runs in 2018, which is either an omen or a fluke, but he also induces grounders more than the average pitcher, so he might be perfect for Yankee Stadium, unless he isn’t. Hope that clears everything up.

But the overall point is that there is an easily identifiable weakness on the Yankees, who should have a little money to spend. Throughout the history of free agency, that sentence has often been followed by the Yankees using their money to address this weakness with the best available player. I’m not sure if the pattern still applies in this post-George era of relative austerity, but nobody should be surprised if the Yankees do exactly what we’re expecting them to do.

11 Yankees observations

Brisbee went on to say that the Oakland A’s are an “ideal” fit for Corbin, but that he expects the Brewers to sign the southpaw for five years and $90 million.

The 29-year-old Corbin went 11-7 with a 3.15 ERA in 2018 and finished fifth in voting for the National League Cy Young Award.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.