Yankees Insider Reveals Shocking Stance on Cam Schlittler's Future

New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler has quickly developed into baseball's brightest stars, and Yankees fans surely can't imagine him wearing anything other than pinstripes.

But is it possible that Schlittler might not be a forever Yankee?

Joel Sherman of The New York Post explored the possibility while the discussing the MLB's upcoming lockout, noting that Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner "badly" wants a salary cap.

Why? Because Steinbrenner is entirely comfortable to the idea of significantly cutting payroll — and he might even strongly prefer it.

Sherman then mentioned that if a salary cap is implemented this winter (and the general expectation is that one will be), it would also came with the caveat of players being able to reach free agency after five years of service time instead of six.

That would push Schlittler and Ben Rice, for example, one year closer to free agency, and Sherman wonders if Steinbrenner wants the cap so he can have an excuse not to re-sign either of his young stars.

"In some ways, I think Hal might want the salary cap so he just can't do it," Sherman said.

Throughout history, the Yankees have generally always managed to retain their homegrown talent so long as they've wanted to.

Both Schlittler and Rice came up through New York's system together and have established themselves as clear cornerstones for the Yankees. Both players have also already begun building impressive postseason resumes.

But is there a world in which neither player is in the Bronx long term? Sherman seems to think so.

Steinbrenner has widely been criticized for not spending enough on the open market, this even though the Yanks regularly rank among the top payrolls in all of baseball.

Last offseason, however, New York was uncharacteristically quiet, with re-signing Cody Bellinger and trading for Ryan Weathers representing their only significant moves.

Is it possible that could become more of a routine occurrence for the Yankees, and could it even come at the expense of their own players?

Schlittler would be particularly damning in that regard, as he is slowly but surely cementing himself as the face of the franchise alongside of Aaron Judge and has become a fan favorite due to his ability to shut down the hated Boston Red Sox.

But if the right-hander ultimately becomes a $300 million pitcher (or more depending on what the salary cap looks like), it could potentially mean the end for Schlittler in New York.