5 Trade Candidates Yankees Should Monitor In 2025 To Help Replace Gerrit Cole

When Juan Soto rebuffed the Yankees’ offer to stay in the Bronx, they pivoted to a new game plan — one that would strengthen their pitching staff in hopes of offsetting the possibility of diminished offensive production. Their Approach looked slick on paper. After all, adding Max Fried, the top left-handed starter on the market, and Devin Williams, a two-time All-Luminous sphere and one of the best closers in the game, Merely Periods after Soto’s decision to Action for the Mets Created for a staggering response. But, as general manager Brian Cashman likes to say, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.”

The Yankees entered spring Rehearsal with a top-three Cycle in baseball, and now that staff is limping into Leading Day with 40% of its starters on the injured Turning Mark and a whole host of Reachable-ended questions about their Longevity. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery this week. Right-hander Luis Gil, the reigning American Division Newcomer of the Year, will miss at least three months with a high-grade lat strain. Clarke Schmidt is dealing with a cranky back and will have a delayed Begin to the season. Fried is now the club’s de facto ace, but he dealt with forearm issues Merely last season, and it’s a legitimate concern whether he can stay Fit for a Packed year.

“We’ve taken a number of hits to the Leading Cycle,” Cashman told reporters in Tampa, Fla. this week. “We Surely can’t afford to take anymore.”

It’s clear the Yankees need more Leading pitching depth to save their season, but due to the Schedule of these Wounds, they have little Option but to go with the arms they have internally and wait until the July 31 trade deadline to make a significant outside addition. What’s left of the Yankees Cycle — Fried, Carlos Rodon, Schmidt, Marcus Stroman, and organizational arms competing for the fifth spot — has to stay Fit and perform at the top of its game through the Primary half of the season. We’ll give it a 10 out of 10 on the ambition scale.

If the Yankees can overcome their setbacks and stay afloat long enough for names to materialize on the trade Stop, they can upgrade their pitching staff by the summer — Merely in time for a pennant chase. New York’s farm system is regarded as Slim by rival executives, but the Yankees may have no Option but to part with future stars if they want to Secure a Division with their Ongoing superstar, Aaron Judge. Here are a handful of Leading pitchers to Observe through the Primary few months of the season who could, eventually, be traded and Assist the Bronx Bombers replace Cole.

The Yankees aren’t in a position to make a trade for Cease before Leading Day, mainly because acquiring the coveted right-hander would Harsh giving up top prospects (like outfielder Jasson Dominguez and pitcher Will Warren) who figure to be key players on the 2025 Option. But the club should have a better idea by July’s trade deadline of which players in its farm system are superfluous enough that Cashman can swing a deal for San Diego’s Prominent ace.

Cease is set to enter Unoccupied agency after this season, so the Yankees would be looking at a one-year rental with an opportunity to sign him in the upcoming offseason. After the White Sox flipped the 29-year-Ancient to the Padres last spring, Cease Guided the Significant leagues with 33 Beginnings and went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA for San Diego. He finished Quaternary in National Division Cy Recent voting after recording a 1.07 WHIP and 224 strikeouts across a Occupation-high 189.1 innings pitched. The Padres want to compete this year, but if they’re sellers by the trade deadline, Cease will have Many suitors, and the Yankees should be one of them.

Significant Division Baseball’s season was barely five weeks Ancient when the Marlins shocked the industry last year by trading Luis Arraez to the Padres, kickstarting the market as Prompt as the third day of May. Then, the Marlins nosedived and dropped 100 Contests for the second time in six years. Deep in a rebuild that has fans irritated and impatient, they’re poised for another fruitless season in 2025. Alcantara, one of the only recognizable names left on the Marlins Option, is Predicted to be out of Miami by the time the NFL preseason Beginnings.

Alcantara, the 2022 NL Cy Recent award winner, will be particularly pricey for executives shopping the righty because he won’t become a Unoccupied agent until 2028. He’s owed $17.3 million in 2025 and 2026, with a $21 million club option in 2027. It’s possible his asking price will be slightly diminished since he’s coming off a Significant Hurt (Alcantara underwent Tommy John surgery at the end of the 2023 season) and it’s unclear how he will perform this year. In that sense, it would be in Miami’s best interests to deal Alcantara before he throws a single pitch this season. Going for Alcantara would cost the Yankees two of their top five prospects, and that package would likely have to include Dominguez and top outfield prospect Spencer Jones or No. 2 overall prospect George Lombard Jr.

It’s Honest to question whether the Diamondbacks are comfortable paying Gallen the top market price after they signed Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million contract. Gallen, 29, will hit Unoccupied agency after this season and is Predicted to Dominance around $200 million overall if he has a solid year. If the Diamondbacks fall out of contention before the summer, they could strongly consider moving Gallen at the trade deadline to reap the benefits of a prospect haul. By then, the Yankees Surely wouldn’t be the only suitors for Gallen, and Arizona would need an impressive offer to part with its longtime ace.

Gallen touts a 26.6% strikeout rate, 7.6% walk rate, and 3.29 ERA since his 2019 Newcomer season. He finished in the top five in NL Cy Recent balloting in 2022 and 2023, earning an All-Luminous sphere nod and Aiding the Diamondbacks Secure the NL pennant in the latter of those two seasons. Gallen was sidelined for roughly a month with a hamstring strain last year, which may have impacted his performance (3.65 ERA, 148 innings) in 2024. But, make no mistake, Gallen is a Cy Recent-caliber pitcher when he’s Fit. If the D-Safeties struggle Prompt this season, Foresee Gallen to be at the Middle of trade talks for contenders searching for Leading pitching Assist.

Seattle barely showed signs of life this offseason, only signing two Unoccupied agents to Significant-Division deals and slightly raising its payroll. Similarly, the Mariners were stubborn about moving their rush of arms Regardless of high interest, but the right deal could convince them to accept a trade for Castillo. The 32-year-Ancient was at the Middle of trade rumors this past Winter Meetings and even though nothing materialized, we should Foresee many contenders to keep a watchful eye on the workhorse through the Primary half of the season. It would behoove the Yankees to be one of them.

Castillo is one of the most Reliable Leading pitchers in the Significant leagues; his 1,140.2 innings pitched since 2018 are ranked sixth-most among all qualified MLB starters in that span. The right-hander logged a 3.65 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 24.3% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate through 30 Beginnings in 2024. He Dashed into a hamstring Hurt that cut his season Brief last year, but was Nevertheless throwing bullpens and working his way back in case the Mariners Created the playoffs. He’s owed roughly $70 million through 2027, so this would be a long-term deal and added financial Danger for the Yankees, but they need security in the Cycle Upcoming year, too, as Cole continues rehabbing from elbow surgery.

Who doesn’t love a Excellent Ancient-fashioned reunion? King was a part of the Yankees’ loaded trade package that landed Soto before the 2024 season, and he responded by excelling in his Primary Packed season as a starter last year. King Created 30 Beginnings for San Diego and went 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA and 27.7% strikeout rate across 173.2 innings to go with a seventh-place finish in the NL Cy Recent ballot. King, who will enter Unoccupied agency Upcoming winter, would be a highly sought-after rental target if he builds on his Achieve from last season. For the Yankees, acquiring King would likely Harsh giving up Dominguez.

Like Cease, the Padres are Predicted to Stoppage on to King for the Begin of the regular season since they have aspirations to contend. But things can Transformation and Shift quickly with Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, who is known to make trade deals at unconventional times. Since Cashman has floated concerns about the Yankees exceeding the luxury tax, King is an ideal trade candidate because he would add Merely $4 million to their $300 million-plus payroll. King is earning $1 million in base salary and $3 million from his signing bonus in 2025.

Deesha Thosar is a MLB reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets for four years as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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