It's pitching, pitching, pitching, Brian. And you suck at it.

Dave Salamone on Pinstripe Alley wrote a post about Holmes becoming a starter, which had been floated on The Athletic, I think. I'd like to keep Clay because he's proven to be a solid setup man. But the starter idea makes some sense. Salamone thinks the Yanks need someone good in the bullpen and don't have to worry about the rotation. I think a) we do, and b) we do. 

Our rotation is Cole, Gil, and Schmidt. Rodent is incredibly unreliable. Stroman was and is a waste of time. Cashman was actually right when he said Stroman is not a difference maker. Well, half right. He makes a difference, but it's a bad one.

Beeter, Warren, Poteet? Puh-leeze. Of course, you can't predict baseball. But as AA points out, sometimes you can.

We have a tattered rotation with two hugely overpaid acquisitions. It's so Cashman. 

Maybe we can get King back in '26, but that looks unlikely. The Brain should get both Burnes and Fried, but both will cost at least as much as Snell got: five years for $182 million. Probably more. If Hal looks at Cashman's record with free agent pitchers, he'd be justified in saying no. Which is too bad. Those two actually are difference makers. On the other hand, that's why Cashman won't even try to get them. Maybe a lame bid, but nothing to take seriously by either. 

(Too bad. Can you imagine having a rotation of Cole, Burnes, Fried, Gil and Schmidt? Holy shitballs, Batman. Soto who?)

But, as I said, Cashman won't be going after either. And he won't be going after Soto beyond the inadequate bid already place.

The way I see it, if we do get Soto, we're doomed, plugging holes with old guys and not-talented-enough kids, with the usual shaky pitching. 

If we don't get Soto, Cashman will trade for and/or sign mediocrity to try and bullshit us into thinking it's just as good.

But neither option looks good to me.