With Gerrit Cole Coming Back, What Tough Decision Will Aaron Boone Make?

3. Should A Starter Get Moved to the Bullpen?

This would be the best option. The Yankees' pitching has been great. That includes the bullpen. There are pitchers in the bullpen that you can either option or designate for assignment without worrying about the consequences. That makes room to move a starter to the bullpen. You trade a starter or a reliever, but the return would not be much. Moving a starter to the bullpen gives depth for long relief.

Having long relief assists Cole in case the UCLA grad can't give more than five innings of work. The question that would need to be answered is: Who would be moved to the bullpen?

Nestor Cortes should be considered for the move. After an impressive season in 2022, Cortes has seen a decline in stats.

In 2023, the one known as Nasty Nestor dropped from an ERA of 2.44 in 2022 to 4.97. Although he received the opening day start for the 2024 season, he is sitting at three wins and four losses. He has accumulated a 3.29 ERA. In 2022, he maintained a 2.44 ERA.

A move to the bullpen can support his ability to bounce back and prove that he can still pitch at a high level. Gil and Schmidt have demonstrated that for the time being, they should stay in the starting rotation. If anyone needs to be replaced, it should be Nestor Cortes until the true Nasty Nestor returns.

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