State of the Yankees: Midseason Review

The Yankees just finished off a sweep of the Reds to start the second half and sit three games out of first with a 50-47 record. Despite how poorly they've played, the AL East is still, somehow, wide open for the taking.

Last time I checked in, Yangervis Solarte was leading the team in just about all offensive categories and CC Sabathia had just hit the DL for his knee, which, at the time, I thought was a cover for his poor performance. Today, Solarte is back on the active roster after a massive cold streak sent him down to the minors, and we just found out CC is getting season-ending knee surgery.

Injury Bug

While CC's injury is certainly a concern for his career, it doesn't compare to the impact Masahiro Tanaka's elbow surgery will have on the Yankees season outlook. Tanaka was an AL Cy Young candidate, and now he's likely out for the year. Now, the only member of the Opening Day rotation who hasn't spent time on the DL this season is Hiroki Kuroda.

Gammons: Yankees might try to sign Edwin Jackson

If Yankees ownership isn't satisfied with the team's starting pitching, they might seek free-agent starter Edwin Jackson, according to Peter Gammons.

Jackson played with the White Sox and Cardinals last season, finishing with a 3.79 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 199.2 innings pitched. Jackson would provide some stability to the Yankees' rotation, as he's pitched at least 183 innings each season since 2008.

As a reminder, right now they have (via official depth chart):

1. CC Sabathia

2. Ivan Nova

3. Phil Hughes

4. A.J. Burnett

5. Freddy Garcia

6. Hector Noeisi

Jackson threw a no-hitter once but has proven to be inconsistent throughout his nine-year career.