Yankees still can’t be taken seriously as World Series contenders

Manager Aaron Boone created the sound bite of the spring when he said his Yankees are “hell bent” on becoming a champion again. It made for a great back page, too (thanks, New York Post sports desk!). 

But really, let’s face it, that’s nothing more than a nifty phrasing on Boone’s part, a nice couple words, some tough talk for the moment. If the organization was actually “hell bent” on a championship, they’d be making sure they add another starting pitcher — and a darned good one. 

Boone, a USC man, is a clever linguist. But until further notice, I’d say it’s more accurate for a Yankee to say something this … 

“We’d like to win a championship.” 

Or … 

“We hope things fall our way.” 

If the Yankees are truly hell bent on their first World Series title since 2009 — so long ago I was still in middle age — they’d make sure to beef up a rotation that’s very talented but so obviously very thin. 

As things stand now, even the Mets, who aren’t quite all-in this year, boast more healthy, viable starting pitchers. 

As things stand now, the Yankees are putting a lot on Nestor Cortes, who had shoulder trouble and a 4.97 ERA last year, and Carlos Rodon, who had too many issues to name, plus a 6.85 ERA. It’s somewhat comforting that the dispatches out of Tampa suggest Rodon is en route to finding his former fastball because he sure didn’t look like the same guy who posted the best ERA in the game over a couple-year period. 

As things stand now, the Yankees have too many rotation questions to be taken too seriously as a World Series contender, despite the low odds Vegas is putting on them (plus 1000 or 10-1, tied with Houston). The Yankees do seem to understand they need another starter, which is why they’ve been trying for White Sox star Dylan Cease, and why they are still at least being linked to free agent Blake Snell. 

The Yankees were acting pretty satisfied after signing Long Island native and former Met Marcus Stroman, who was clamoring to be a Yankee, at a fraction of the cost of Snell — $37 million over two years. Stroman’s energetic, athletic and a necessary add, but if you’re intent on winning, you shouldn’t be taking an “either or” approach to a pitcher in the midrange category among free agents and a two-time Cy Young winner like Snell. 

I’m not saying they have to get Snell now, either. But they do need another starter that’s at least playoff worthy. That could be either Snell, Jordan Montgomery — and yes, it turns out he is October ready, as the nemesis Astros could tell you now — Cease or some mystery pitcher yet to be named on the trade market. 

If you’re truly hell bent, Snell should be the one, of course. He has the nastiest stuff this side of a healthy Jacob deGrom, and the knocks on his alleged lack of innings are overdone. He threw 180 innings last year in running away with the Cy Young and 486 innings over the last four, which includes the pandemic year. 

If the Yankees do sign Snell, they’d have the top righty-lefty top-of-the-rotation combo in baseball. Gerrit Cole was the best pitcher last year, but from late May on, Snell was better. He posted a 1.20 ERA those final four-plus months, exactly twice as good as anyone else (Kyle Bradish was next best at 2.40). 

If I’m a stickler, “hell bent” translates to Snell bent. But I get it. If they signed Snell, especially to one of those short-term, high-AAV deals that’s being thrown around in the press lately (it’s reported but not confirmed that they’re willing to pay something like $105 million over three years), the Yankees still would be giving up draft choices and international money. Plus, the real money cost would be about $70 million a year since they are up against the fourth-tier, Steve Cohen tax threshold of $297 million and would be paying 110 percent on just about all the deal. 

So I get it if they don’t like that idea. Even if they are hell bent, I’ll give them a pass as long as they add a pinstripe- and playoff-worthy rotation piece. 

Montgomery is a guy they liked, especially after he killed the Astros in the ALCS last year, and he’d be good at something well less than $35 million a year (maybe $25 million). But Cease makes sense, too. 

Cease was one of the best pitchers in the league in 2022, and the guess here is that 2023 is just a blip in what’s going to be an outstanding career. He’s more durable than anyone they have except Cole — and even Snell — and best of all makes the very reasonable salary of $8 million. With the tax that’s less than $17 million, still a bargain for a top-of-the-rotation starter. 

The issue, as The Post reported, is that the White Sox sought speed-power threat Spencer Jones, the Yankees’ top prospect. Scouts see him as a future 30-30 man, so that’s not a tough one. None of this is easy. But they did say they are hell bent on winning, and the rotation they have now isn’t nearly deep enough.