Yankees Should Add Fielder After Acquiring Kuroda and Pineda

With the additions of Michael Pineda and Hiroki Kuroda, the Yankees have themselves a deep rotation. Getting Michael Pineda was pretty costly though, losing C/DH Jesus Montero in the process. The loss of a young power bat is something the Yankees are going to miss unless they go out and sign Prince Fielder.

The Yankees are in need of youth, which is why trading away a player like Montero (just 22 years old) to me is a mistake. Projected to be a .300 and 25 HR guy for the Yankees, Montero is the Yankees' best prospect. Losing his potential bat at C/DH will be hard to replace.

If you sign Prince Fielder you get the best bat available.  He will smash at least 35 HR in lefty friendly Yankee Stadium. Prince is still in his 20s, so you add some youth to the Yankees as well. He will not be looked upon to carry the team; he'll just be expected to contribute what he normally does.

Potential lineup vs Righties or Lefties:

1.  Jeter SS
2.  Granderson CF
3.  Cano 2B
4.  Rodriguez 3B
5.  Fielder DH   (swap with Tex vs Lefties)
6.  Teixeira 1B
7.  Swisher RF
8.  Martin C
9.  Gardner LF  (Andruw Jones vs Lefties)

You have a lineup with speed on the top in Jeter and Granderson, power from 3-7, and more speed in Gardner. A lineup that can produce runs with small ball or the long ball. 

Last night's additions have the Yankees exceeding the 200 million salary plateau that they were desperate to stay under. Since you just added to the payroll, you might as well get the bat you are going to need to put you over the top in Fielder.

The hard part will be getting Fielder to agree to a one or two year deal. The Yankees already have money tied up in  Tex, A-Rod, Jeter, CC and Burnett, so it will be hard to do financially. I figure a two-year deal of around 35 million will probably get it done. 

Even the Yankees have a budget, but if you are the Yankees and you know that this addition can give you an edge over the Red Sox, Angels and Rangers, don't you have to do it? Winning is all that matters in NY. This is the best way for them to do that.