Yankees Rumors: NY 'Well-Positioned' to Land Free-Agent SP Dallas Keuchel

The injury-stricken New York Yankees are reportedly "well-positioned" to sign free-agent pitcher Dallas Keuchel. 

Andy Martino of SNY reported the news but cautioned that even though the Bronx Bombers are "one of the frontrunners," other teams are in pursuit. 

SNY noted the southpaw will no longer be tied to a compensation pick for teams looking to sign him following the 2019 amateur draft, which starts Monday. As a result, his market is "expected to take off" after the draft is over.

CC Sabathia and Luis Severino are each on the injured list for the Yankees, who have managed to play well enough to seize first place in the American League East despite dealing with health problems throughout the season.

Those injury worries are surely one reason New York is looking to bolster its starting rotation from the outside, and the SNY report pointed out Marcus Stroman, Trevor Bauer and Zack Wheeler are other pitchers it could be eyeing.

As for Keuchel, his camp is reportedly willing to accept a much smaller contract than the one he initially asked for before the 2019 campaign started:

Keuchel has an impressive resume that includes the 2015 American League Cy Young Award, a 2017 World Series title, four Gold Gloves and two All-Star appearances. He made a career-best 34 starts in 2018 for the Houston Astros and finished with a 3.74 ERA and 1.314 WHIP.

He also isn't far removed from the 2.90 ERA he posted during the 2017 season.

The Yankees figure to be among the teams battling for the postseason in the stretch run, and Keuchel would give them a playoff-tested veteran with a track record of success in the daunting American League.