Wang Out for More Than 6 Weeks

This via PeteAbe:

RHP Chien-Ming Wang was examined today at New York Presbyterian Hospital Columbia Medical Center by Yankees Team Physician, Dr. Stuart Hershon and Dr. Justin Greisberg, Foot and Ankle Specialist.

Imaging studies revealed a mid-foot sprain of the Lisfranc ligament of the right foot and a partial tear of the peroneal longus tendon of the right foot.

Wang will be on crutches and wear a protective boot for a minimum of six weeks.

Well, beyond the obvious fact that he’ll be on the DL and someone needs to replace him, this is terrible news. Six weeks later puts us at July 26th, at which time he’ll need to resume throwing, which may be about a month. At this point you’re talking about

But it’s not that terrible. This isn’t losing A-Rod for six weeks, it’s losing a pitcher who does his work every five days for about 20 starts, which is a lot but it’s certainly not the end of the world. There are options to fill the void.

First, we have to turn to Dan Giese–he’s been lights-out in the pen and in Scranton, even if he doesn’t have the fastball (87-88). Giese should give the Yanks some time to let Daniel McCutchen and/or Alan Horne make a case for themselves and develop. Don’t forget Ian Kennedy, who’s should be back after getting at least two (which, in Yankeeland, means more) starts, and hopefully he progresses.

The other option, of course, is to turn to the trade market. As Tim Dierkes of MLBTR notes, Joe Blanton, Rich Harden, Erik Bedard, Derek Lowe, C.C. Sabathia, Randy Wolf, Kevin Millwood, Vincente Padilla, and Paul Byrd. The Rangers released Sidney Ponson as the Brewers did to Jeff Weaver, and the Mariners (besides doing themselves a favor in firing Bill Bavasi) demoted Miguel Batista to the bullpen. I don’t think that anyone in the system can give any less than Padilla, Byrd, Ponson, Batista, or Weaver (yuck), so we can cancel those out. Millwood is 34, miserable, and expensive, so cross him out too. Lowe is 35 and earns $10M, but he’s well worth it, particularly with how he eats innings and is very effective in his sinkerballing ways. He’d be a solid acquisition, and will certainly be a Type A player after the season, netting us picks. Bedard is struggling, so I’d want no part of him. Blanton has lost some his fastball already at 28 with the reputation of a groundballing innings-eater, but there isn’t much upsider or much to like. Harden has sick stuff and has ace potential, and would be a great acquisition, but the big if (BIG IF) is if he can stay healthy. Wolf has never pitched in the AL, and, despite posting great numbers, doesn’t have enough stuff to do it in the junior circuit, either. Sabathia, is, well, Sabathia, but he’d cost a king’s ransom of prospects, which the Yankees might not be prepared to give up.

I think we can fill the Wang hole internally, but we can do great by getting ourselves Lowe or Harden, and, if you want to swallow trading a big prospect, Sabathia.