![Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers could be targeted by the New York Yankees later in the season. - [Image Via Keith Allison, Flickr]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2018/4/21/660x290/b_502x220x82/cole-hamels-of-the-texas-rangers-could-be-targetted-by-the-new-york-yankees-later-in-the-season-keith-allison-flickr-cc_1947975.jpg "Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers could be targeted by the New York Yankees later in the season. - [Image Via Keith Allison, Flickr]")
The new york yankees are off to a rocky start in the 2018 MLB season. However, the Yankees are still expected to be among the top contenders this season, and they could be more dangerous later this year, as they are expected to bolster their roster through trades. The Yankees are in a very good position to acquire high-quality players because they still have enough cap space to take on lucrative contracts. According to Joe Giglio of NJ Advance Media, New York can target top pitchers like Cole Hamels, Madison Bumgarner, and Felix Hernandez.
New York Yankees in a good position to trade for top pitchers
New York opted not to trade for formidable starters like Michael Fulmer and Gerrit Cole, and also decided not to sign top free agents like Yu Darvish and Alex Cobb. However, it does not mean New York is contented with their current rotation of Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Sonny Gray, and Jordan Montgomery. According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, sources who spoke to the Yankees before are convinced that New York is saving money for a big trade for a starter before the trade deadline. Heyman said that the Yankees are still around $12-17 million below the tax threshold, which means they would be in a good position to make a splash in July.
Giglio said that top pitchers will be more affordable midway through the season. Hamels is still an integral part of the rotation, while Bumgarner is also an important asset for the San Francisco Giants. Hernandez is still a solid option for the Seattle Mariners, but anything can happen later in the season. High-caliber starters like Hamels, Bumgarner, and Hernandez might eventually become available if their respective teams fail to stay in strong playoff contention.
Other possible pitching options for Yankees surface
Joel Sherman of the New York Post also reported last month that the Yankees expressed interest in acquiring Cleveland Indians starter Danny Salazar. The 28-year-old starter is still out because of a shoulder injury, but Giglio also said last month that the Yankees could revisit their talks with the Indians about a Salazar trade.
The five-year veteran holds a career record of 38-33 in 108 starts with a 3.82 ERA and 686 strikeouts. The Yankees are also improving their pitching options. Jesse Borek of FanRag Sports reported that New York signed Oliver Perez to a minor league deal. Perez appeared in 50 games for the Washington Nationals last season. It remains to be seen whether the 15-year veteran would get a call-up from the Yankees later in the season.
