NEW YORK -- Even with Houston Astros starter Wandy Rodriguez reportedly clearing waivers, the New York Yankees have no interest in him, according to a baseball official familiar with their thinking.
The Yankees feel as if they have six starters for five spots right now and don't see how Rodriguez would fit into their rotation. Rodriguez, a left-hander, is 9-9 with a 3.31 ERA. He has two more years remaining on his three-year, $34 million contact.
If Freddy Garcia comes through a rehab start for Triple-A Scranton on Monday night fine, then the Yankees will have their six-man rotation intact until next week. At that point, if there are no injuries, they will likely whittle down to a five-man rotation.
A.J. Burnett might be pitching to save his spot in the rotation because he has been the team's worst starter in August. Burnett, who will start Friday in Baltimore, has a 10.70 ERA in August; after three seasons, he finally notched his first August win as a Yankee.
Adding to the Yankees' disinterest in Rodriguez is the fact they have Manny Banuelos, Hector Noesi and Dellin Bettances as minor leaguers who could possibly compete for rotation spots.
Banuelos is a candidate to be a September callup, and if that happens, he most likely would be a reliever. The Yankees have yet to transition him to that role at Triple A.
Andrew Marchand covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com.