If the New York Yankees decide to add some starting rotation depth in the wake of Luis Severino’s shoulder injury, Gio Gonzalez is one name to watch.
Severino was scratched from his scheduled Grapefruit League start on Tuesday with shoulder discomfort, and the Yankees announced that he will undergo further evaluation to determine the severity of the issue. According to Jon Heyman of Fancred, some within the organization were discussing the possibility of signing Gonzalez even before Severino got hurt.
Gio Gonzalez has been discussed at least by some Yankees people, even before Luis Severino was scratched with shoulder “discomfort.” Rotation depth one of their only issues.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 5, 2019
Gonzalez could turn out to be one of the better bargains left on the free agent market. The 33-year-old had a bit of a down year last year with a 4.21 ERA and 10-11 record, but he seemed revitalized by a late-season trade from the Nationals to the Brewers. Gonzalez posted a 2.13 ERA in five starts with Milwaukee to close out the year.
The Yankees are obviously hoping Severino’s injury is nothing serious, but it’s at the very least a reminder of how important rotation depth is. They just signed the right-hander to a significant contract extension, but you really can never have enough starting pitching.
