The New York Yankees have kept busy this offseason adding free agents and making trades.

Without future Hall of Fame shortstop Derek Jeter, the Yankees are transitioning from a hit-friendly team to a team that has to rely more on pitching.

Last season, rookie pitcher Masahiro Tanaka was fantastic, winning 13 games and striking out 141 batters in the process. Tanaka walked just 21 batters, but the Yankees can't solely rely on Tanaka's right arm. CC Sabathia is getting older, and his fastball is getting slower.

Two very notable pitchers remaining on the free agent market are Max Scherzer and James Shields.

Scherzer has made the last two All-Star games and did win the 2013 American League CY Young Award. Last season Scherzer had a very impressive 18-5 record with a 3.15 earned runs against average. Although a free agent, there's still a chance the Detroit Tigers could re-sign the 30-year-old pitcher.

Last season the Yankees ranked 18th overall in team pitching, allowing 3.75 earned runs against per game.

Unfortunately there's another side general manager Brian Cashman has to worry about. The Yankees ranked a dreadful 20th in totals runs scored and 20th in batting average last season. Breaking the bank on Scherzer could be detrimental for the Yankees because they have so many offensive gaps to fill. Ichiro Suzuki, who had a team-leading .284 batting average last year, may not return to the Pinstripes next season.

Usually the Yankees can dominate the free agent market by simply outspending other teams, but Alex Rodriguez and Sabathia aren't contributing nearly the amount on the field as they're making off it. Dominican pitcher Ervin Santana could have been a nice addition for a much cheaper price, but the Minnesota Twins signed him to a four deal in December. One of the biggest free agent names entering this offseason was Jon Lester, but he chose to sign with the Chicago Cubs.

A cheaper option for the Yankees may be to sign James Shields.

Shields is a quality pitcher who played seven years for the Tampa Bay Rays, so he's used to playing in the American League East. Shields isn't an elite ace like Clayton Kershaw, but he'll give you a guaranteed 12 wins and an average ERA year in and year out.

Shields is now 33 years old, but he'll come a lower price tag than Scherzer. Shields has shown he can win big games with little run support, as he guided the Kansas City Royals to the 2014 World Series. Last year's Royals hit the fewest home runs in the league. Rumors have been swirling Shields is seeking at least $110 million, which is nearly half the amount that Scherzer is looking for.

Another option for the Bronx Bombers could be Cole Hamels, who is currently signed under contract with the Philadelphia Phillies until the 2018 season. Hamels has said that he is open to a trade, if it were to the Yankees or the Texas Rangers. Hamels is guaranteed $94 million, which should be significantly less than Scherzer. The Yankees may want to make an offer to Hamels before the Boston Red Sox do.

The Yankees have to make a decision. Do they want to focus entirely on acquiring a great pitcher? Or do they want to balance their spending across numerous positions?

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