Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Check in on Jacob deGrom in Free Agency

New York is the fourth team to check in with deGrom in free agency, according to this MLB insider.

Max Goodman

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The Yankees have requested medical information from free agent starting pitcher Jacob deGrom, per Andy Martino of SNY.

New York is the fourth team so far this winter to inquire with deGrom, joining the Rangers, Braves and Mets, who hope to retain their ace and two-time Cy Young Award winner.

Martino prefaced that this doesn't mean the Yankees are necessarily pursuing deGrom. At least not yet. 

"Teams request medicals on free agents all the time before determining whether to mount a full-scale pursuit," Martino wrote. "The Yankees are prioritizing re-signing Aaron Judge and adding to their pitching."

deGrom is entering his age-35 season, still one of the very best starting pitchers in the sport. He posted a 3.08 ERA over 11 starts in 2022, missing the first four months of the season on the 60-day injured list. 

The Yankees' starting rotation currently features Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Frankie Montas. As of now, a mix of Domingo Germán and former top prospect Clarke Schmidt would fill the No. 5 spot.

New York has been linked to other free agent starters like Justin Verlander and Carlos Rodón. Owner Hal Steinbrenner made it clear earlier this offseason that while re-signing Judge is the ultimate priority, bringing the MVP back won't preclude the Yankees from spending on other top assets on the open market.

The Yankees have other items on their to-do list as well. New York needs to decide who will start in left field in 2023, they could trade one of their infielders to make room for their top prospects and there's always room for improvement in the bullpen. 

Meanwhile, the Mets are showing interest in a few former Yankees starters. Not only are the Mets reportedly in contact with right-hander Jameson Taillon, who entered free agency after two seasons with the Yankees, but New York has also inquired with lefty Andrew Heaney. Ex-Yankees reliever Stephen Ridings was picked up by the Mets off waivers this month as well. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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