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Three Potential Trade Targets for the Yankees to Replace Cole

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With Gerrit Cole out for the season, the Yankees might swing a trade for another top pitcher

The New York Yankees received the worst news they could get on Monday, learning that their ace, Gerrit Cole, required Tommy John surgery. Cole’s diagnosis came less than a week after getting blown up by the Minnesota Twins in a spring training start, after which he reported elbow soreness. The 2023 American League Cy Young winner is coming off a 2024 campaign that saw him miss almost the entire first half of the season with elbow inflammation.

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With their number one starter out for the rest of the season, the Yankees’ starting pitching depth isn’t looking very deep anymore. Thankfully, they signed two-time All-Star Max Fried to an eight-year deal this offseason. But with reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil also out for the next three months with a lat strain, general manager Brian Cashman should start exploring external options if he wants to keep the rotation afloat this season. Here are three starters whom the Yankees can look into acquiring via trade this season.

3 Potential Trade Targets for Yankees After Cole’s Surgery

Dylan Cease

Although the rumors have mostly died down with Cease since it appears that the San Diego Padres aren’t willing to move him yet, the 29-year-old is still definitely worth considering in any circumstance. Coming off a 2024 season where he struck out 224 batters in 189 1/3 innings and posted a 3.47 ERA, Cease will certainly be one of the most coveted pitchers this coming offseason, when he’s set to hit free agency.

One of the problems with trading for Cease, however, is the $13.75 million price tag on him. Cashman has said that his issue with seeking a trade for a starter is that the Yankees wish to avoid the luxury tax. This wouldn’t be a problem if the team had dealt Marcus Stroman and his $18 million salary this offseason, but ironically, they now need him more than ever. Still, if there’s a pitcher worth going over the luxury tax for, it would be Cease.

Erick Fedde

Fedde, who is making $7.5 million this season, might be more appealing to Cashman than a pitcher like Cease, given his apparent unwillingness to spend any more money this year. Fedde’s St. Louis Cardinals aren’t looking to be overly competitive this season, meaning that the 32-year-old could be on the trade block in the coming months. Posting a 3.30 ERA over 177 1/3 innings last season after pitching in Korea in ’23, the right-hander would make for a great rental in the absence of Cole.

Sandy Alcántara

The Miami Marlins are looking to be one of the worst teams in MLB this season, so presumably, they’ll be willing to field offers for their ace. Coming off Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss the entirety of 2024, Alcántara is looking much like he did when he won the NL Cy Young Award in 2022. Both Cashman and captain Aaron Judge name-dropped him as one of the team’s most coveted trade targets after the news broke about Cole.

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The Yankees have a rich recent history of trading for impactful players from the Marlins, including Giancarlo Stanton of course, but also Michael King, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Nathan Eovaldi. If the Yankees can acquire Alcántara, they definitely should, despite the high price that it would cost. With Cole out until he’s at least 35 and Judge turning 33 this season, their World Series window with this squad is rapidly closing, meaning that the time to trade for a true ace is now.

 

Photo Credit: © Dave Nelson-Imagn Images

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