Jordan Montgomery Will Need Tommy John Surgery, So It's Time To Go Get Cole Hamels

Goddamit. We all feared for the worst in early May when Gumby had to exit his start against the Astros in the first inning. At the time they called it a flexor strain, but when you see a guy come out with elbow pain like that your mind instantly goes to one thing and one thing only: Tommy John. After about a month of being shut down, the bad news arrived today and it’s brutal.

So what now?

Domingo German is realistically not the answer for a team competing for a World Series. We knew this. He’s pitched fine in the short-term as we tried to figure out what the plan was with Montgomery. But if this team is going to do anything in the playoffs, the rotation has to be bolstered via trade/prospect call-up.

Cole Hamels is the most realistic name that comes to mind in terms of dealing for a pitcher. He’s pitching well and 100% available this second given how bad the Texas Rangers have been this season. You can throw names around like James Paxton, Madison Bumgarner, or Patrick Corbin. But none of those teams are trading their big arms while they are still in the hunt.

In 72 innings so far this year, Hamels has posted an ERA of 3.63, including beating the Yankees in Texas when he threw 7 dominant innings of two run ball, striking out seven. This is where the Yankees deep farm system can come into play and help them fix this rotation issue without much of a sweat. Hamels is owed the remainder of his $22.5 million this year, which would be pro-rated for any team acquiring him. He also carries with him a $20 million team option that will not be picked up in all likelihood and only require a $6 million buyout. Hamels has a limited no trade clause, but he would waive that if it meant getting thrown right in the middle of a World Series chase.

The obvious goal here is to find 2018’s Justin Verlander. Which veteran arm out in the market can come in and make a giant impact, reviving their career one more time. It’s Cole Hamels. He has the playoff pedigree to grab the ball in October and give you big time start after big time start.

So What Would Hamels Cost?

The rumored deal that’s been floating around has been Chance Adams (Yankees #5 prospect) and Thairo Estrada (Yankees #9 prospect). Adams has had opportunities to reach the Major League level, but the organization did not like his lack of a third pitch. A few weeks ago he twirled seven shutout innings in AAA while striking out 10. After a very consistent, effective 2017, he’s been iffy this year. The potential is there and with Texas, he’ll most certainly get all the chances to prove he can pitch on the big league level and succeed. Estrada is an infielder who obviously has zero shot of breaking the big league roster with the amount of talent blocking him. And as much as I like Chance Adams, if the offer is those two guys for Cole Hamels, you have to do it.

One issue with Hamels is his contract and how the Yankees only have about $11 million to spend while still remaining under the luxury tax, which is a huge goal for Cashman heading into next season. They may need the Rangers to eat a little of money in the deal, which would increase the level of prospects they’d have to send over. But the bottom line is Cole Hamels needs to be a New York Yankee in the coming weeks, if not sooner. Originally waiting for the trade deadline seemed to be the move, but with today’s bad news, that clock as been accelerated. It won’t cost Florial, it won’t cost Sheffield, and it probably won’t cost Clint Frazier. Hamel’s available at the right price at the right time. This is my move.

If They Don’t Trade Right Away

Now Cashman may opt to not panic and wait to see how the market plays out. I don’t believe he has that luxury anymore. But he is Brian Cashman and I never doubt a single thing he does. Justus Sheffield is the Yankees next Luis Severino. He has the potential to burst on the scene when he’s ready and fucking dominate opposing hitters. He missed two weeks in May with a DL stint and hasn’t responded with the best numbers (3 starts 13 IP 4.85 ERA 10 Ks 8 BBs). He’s only 22 years old and I don’t think he’s ready at this exact moment to come up and start for this team. I would let him stay in Scranton and try to get in more of a rhythm before we possibly see him in August.

Josh Rogers is a 23 year old lefty in AAA who has a 3.71 ERA in 63 innings. If Sunday’s game wasn’t rained out, it would have likely been him or David Hale starting one of the games in Detroit. In his last start, Rogers got absolutely shit-rocked, giving up 6 runs in just 1.1 innings. He could be an option for the short term to see if they can catch lightning in a bottle. Chance Adams has been too inconsistent in my mind to be called up and given a chance in the rotation. I think he has a future in the big leagues, but it’s not as a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, at least in the organization’s mind. Obviously they could just stick with German for now even though he’s not the answer long term, but I’m ready to make a more aggressive move now. It’s in my blood to be that way. We were always going to need rotation help via trade this year, but Monty’s bad news likely speeds up the urgency in making a move.

Go get me Cole Hamels.