Post#102 » by Schad » Thu Nov 30, 2017 12:23 am
If we're bound and determined to try to make the playoffs, the nightmare scenario might not even be Ohtani signing with the Yankees, but rather with the Mariners. As it stands they aren't awash with money to spend, but the injuries to their pitching staff really outstripped anything we experienced: they lost Drew Smyly for the whole season, Iwakuma for most of the year, Paxton for about 12 starts, Felix Hernandez for more than half the year, and consequently they saw 17 different pitchers make appearances in the rotation.
Now, some of those guys are just flat-out injury risks, but they have enough guys to cobble together a decent rotation nonetheless. Add Ohtani and it could be a very good rotation, and that would make chasing the second Wild Card extremely tough, assuming Houston/Boston/New York are penciled in.
**** your asterisk.