The New York Yankees, a top-tier team that runs Will Warren and Carlos Carrasco out as two-fifths of their current rotation (necessity, not choice), is on the lookout for any and every available innings-eating upgrade ahead of the trade deadline. Unfortunately, the latest name to drop might have a lower likelihood of making a difference than the options they're already working with.
Kenta Maeda, a familiar name and a former stalwart, was DFA'd by the Tigers this week after racking up a 7.88 ERA in seven games/eight innings out of the bullpen. Once a starter, but no longer, Maeda made 17 unflattering starts last year, finishing the first year of a two-year pact with a 6.09 ERA in 112 1/3 innings.
The Tigers, currently jockeying with the Yankees for the best record in the American League, made the type of strong statement the Yanks typically do not by eating Maeda's remaining salary to rid themselves of a problem. That might (gulp) make Maeda more appealing to the Yankees, rather than teaching them the proper lesson here.
He may be free of charge, but his Dodgers days are long past him, and his career could very well be over. As desperate as the Yankees might, and should, be right now, stretching out an already-stretched-thin Maeda is not the answer.
Yankees must stay away from rotation downgrade Kenta Maeda, despite desperate need for semi-quality innings
For as below-par as Carrasco has been — and he has been brutal — the Yankees have received five shutout frames from him against Toronto, as well as five one-hit innings against KC and enough to get a victory in his season debut against the Diamondbacks. They can't afford to waste an acceptable outing when they get one — that's what made Devin Williams' meltdowns against the Rays and Jays hurt all the more — but it would be irresponsible to act like they haven't already gotten more value than expected out of his wily right arm.
It's likely time to handle Carrasco's Yankees career the same way they tend to handle his starts, and get out quickly before it's too late. Unfortunately, anyone seeing Maeda's name on the waiver wire, recalling his Dodgers days, and thinking the Yankees should jump probably hasn't watched the effect he's had on Tigers fans since the day his two-year, $12 million AAV deal was finalized.
