MLB Rumors: Yankees Interested In Johan Santana; Pitcher Continues Rehab Following Shoulder Surgery

Though New York’s top free agent pitching target is Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, the Yankees remain interested in the potential services 34-year-old lefty Johan Santana could bring to the ball club. The two-time Cy Young Award winner is in the process of a strenuous rehabilitation process after undergoing two shoulder operations, surgeries that forced him to miss the 2011 and 2013 seasons and only allowed the Venezuela native to make 21 starts in 2012. Despite the recent injury concerns however, Santana continues to garner attention from multiple teams across the league and the New York Yankees are said to be right at the top of the interest list.

Yet to pitch off a mound this winter, the former Minnesota Twins and New York Mets ace could soon invite scouts to watch him throw during an open audition near his home in Fort Myers, Florida. If the Yankees do not see it appropriate to bring Santana to the big league team before Spring Training or the start of the regular season, their free agent pitching options outside of Masahiro Tanaka are slim. The team has expressed varying degrees of interest in Matt Garza, Ervin Santana and Ubaldo Jimenez but it’s hard to imagine New York focusing too much of its attention on that trio until the landing spot of Tanaka -- who posted a 24-0 record and 1.27 ERA in the Pacific League last season -- is determined.

In 284 career starts since making his major league debut in 2000, Johan Santana owns a record of 139-78 and a 3.20 ERA. With 1,988 career strikeouts versus only 567 walks in over 2000 innings, Santana was undoubtedly one of the most dominant and effective pitchers during that time when healthy. Earning a place on four All-Star teams as well, Santana proved to be the type of player clubs like to have due to his professionalism, calming personality and abilities on the diamond.

The lefty pitched to a sub-.300 ERA over 29 starts for the New York Mets in 2010 and even though his best days are likely behind him, the Yankees and the reported 11 other teams interested in Santana would be silly to not continue to monitor his rehab progress.