Sign Tyson Ross
If New York were to take a risk on any starter on the market, it should be this guy.
In four years with the San Diego Padres, Tyson Ross went 26-35, pitched to the tune of a 3.16 ERA while striking out 9.2 batters per nine innings. His best season came in 2014 when he went 13-14 with a 2.81 ERA and represented the Padres at the All-Star Game.
From 2014-15, Ross owned the eighth-most innings pitched (391.2) among National League pitchers while only surrendering 22 home runs in 64 games.
Additionally, only one starting pitcher in baseball in that same span produced a greater ground ball rate than Ross (59.2%) did and that was 2015’s AL CY Young award winner, Dallas Keuchel (62.6%).
In the sandbox that is Yankee Stadium, that ground ball rate is invaluable, but his demands may be too high for a guy who won’t fully recover from surgery to fix symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome until May.
An incentive based contract starting at league minimum would make sense, but depending on what Ross is looking for, a deal like this would be a relatively smart investment if he recovers well.
