The New York Yankees‘ rotation has been unexpectedly strong even after losing ace Gerrit Cole and AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil from the previous season. The rotation is doing far better than many anticipated after two of New York’s starters were injured before the season even started. Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, who were acquired as free agents last winter, are at the top of the rotation with respective ERAs of 1.84 and 2.87 while combining for 17 victories. The Yankees might add a pitcher at the trade deadline.
In terms of starting pitching, things haven’t always gone smoothly. The Yankees have had to make changes to the back half of the rotation due to Marcus Stroman’s injury. They signed (and then released) veteran Carlos Carrasco and even moved long-reliever Ryan Yarbrough from the bullpen into the rotation. Even though players like rookie Will Warren and Clarke Schmidt have occasionally put up strong performances, the latter half of the rotation is still a cause for concern.
Supporting the Rotation
Bob Nightengale of USA Today claims that the Yankees are looking to expand their rotation by adding another arm. The team has apparently put more emphasis on offence than pitching, so it’s likely that they will add a starting pitcher over a batsman, even though they are also looking for a right-handed hitter who can ideally play third base. Even though Luis Gil ought to make a comeback later this summer, a team—especially one without their ace—can never have enough pitching depth. Having said that, the Yankees could pursue these three trade candidates prior to the trade deadline on July 31st.
1. Corbin, Patrick
Corbin has been outstanding for the Texas Rangers this season after a terrible six-year stint with the Washington Nationals, during which he only had one season with an ERA below 4.50. During Spring Training, the Yankees showed interest in Corbin, who pitched 61 1/3 innings with a 3.52 ERA. However, on March 18, Corbin signed a $1.1 million contract with the Rangers.
Texas will probably make bids for Corbin, who will be an intriguing deadline asset for a Rangers team that is 32-35 due in large part to the play of their starters (they rank 27th in MLB in runs scored). However, with three of the Yankees’ five current starters being southpaws, it wouldn’t be ideal to add another left-hander to New York’s rotation.
2. Alcantara Sandy
Even though Alcantara has the worst ERA (7.14) among Major League pitchers with at least 50 innings pitched, he should still be viewed as a potential upgrade for a Yankees trade deadline acquisition. In addition to missing the entire 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery, the right-hander has had a lot of bad luck recently. He has a very high ground ball percentage (50.8%), which would be more helpful behind the Yankees’ defence than the Miami Marlins, but his predicted ERA of 4.57 isn’t terrific, according to Baseball Savant.
Given that his trade value has somewhat decreased due to his difficult start thus far, it might even be the ideal time for the Yankees to make a trade for him. The 29-year-old, who is under team control through 2027, will undoubtedly get better. In his last two outings (12 innings), he has given up only two earned runs. Even though the return will be costly, if the Yanks were to acquire Alcantara and he were to return to his peak, it would be nearly unfair to their rotation.
3. Peralta Freddy
It would make sense given their recent performance, but the Milwaukee Brewers probably won’t be willing to part with one of their finest pitchers until they are dead in the water. The Brewers have rarely allowed talented players to enter free agency in the past ten years, preferring to obtain a return for them prior to the expiration of their contracts. They will probably try to get a return out of Peralta if they are by the deadline a long shot for the postseason.
Even though the right-hander has a 2026 club option, they probably wouldn’t let that stop them from looking for a trade (see Devin Williams). The Yankees might not want to commit to the package that Peralta would require, as he has pitched at least 140 innings with an ERA under 4.00 in three of the last four seasons. Giving up a couple prospects for another pitcher of All-Star calibre is certainly not out of the question, though, as New York’s World Series window appears to be closing shortly.
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