The Yankees need starting pitching, but apparently they don't think they need it that much.
San Francisco ace and postseason whiz Madison Bumgarner is the best available starting pitcher on the trade market at this moment. And the Giants are indeed willing to move him.
However, according to The Athletic, they will not settle on a deal for the lefty. They are going to go for what they believe to be his proper value on the trade market.
And that value apparently is more than the Yankees are willing to pay.
New York likes Bumgarner, but is not "enamored" with him enough to pay an exorbitant price to get him, according to MLB.com.
Now, this doesn't mean the Yankees aren't on the lookout for rotation help, nor does it mean New York won't still make a deal for Bumgarner.
It simply means the team will not abandon its long-term plan to get him.
That's reportedly exactly what happened with Dallas Keuchel as the Yankees would not exceed the prorated amount on the qualifying offer the lefty received from the Astros this offseason.
As a result the Braves signed him.
But again, the Yankees still went after Keuchel so they are looking for some help in some way.
Now what will that help be? That remains to be seen. But there is some value out on the market as Blue Jays starters Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez could become available, and maybe even a starter like Jason Vargas of the Mets is an option.
There is help out there to be had, it's just a matter of what price the Yankees will have to pay to get it.
And if — and at this point this might be a huge "if" — Luis Severino comes back in the second half of the season and is the stud righty the team remembers from years past, New York might not need all that much help. That remains to be seen, though.
Odds are the Yankees won't stand pat and wait for Severino. They'll go get help, but they're not going to do what the Cubs did in 2016, sending Gleyber Torres and Billy McKinney away for three months with one pitcher, Aroldis Chapman. They'll give up what they believe is proper value to get equal worth in their return.