We’ve been waiting for the Yankees to make a big splash on a top-flight starting pitcher for some time now.
No disrespect to James Paxton, who, after a rough start to life in pinstripes last season, rolled off 10 consecutive wins down the stretch and looks to be an excellent fit in New York moving forward.
However, less than a week from the opening of the Winter Meetings, which has seen marquee free agents shy away from announcing mega deals as they did in the past, the Yankees sent a trio of decision-makers in Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone and new pitching coach Matt Blake, to Southern California to meet with Scott Boras and his clients, Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg.