In what’s becoming routine for the New York Yankees, the injury bug has bitten again in spring training. This time, losing ace Gerrit Cole may be the most devastating.
With Cole undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery this week, the Yankees have plenty of questions left to answer, with the 2025 season looming just weeks away.
Nothing is more pivotal than how the Yankees will replace the production of Cole.
At this point in spring training, free-agent options are few and far between, headlined by aging starters such as Lance Lynn, Patrick Corbin and Kyle Gibson. Unlike last offseason, where stars like Blake Snell waited until the last minute to sign, most top available arms are locked into deals already.
Many names have been mentioned as potential trade targets, such as Miami’s Sandy Alcántara, San Diego’s Dylan Cease and St. Louis’ Eric Fedde. Nevertheless, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has already said that it is unlikely that the team will make any “external additions” to its pitching staff.
Taking Cashman’s comments at face value, the Yankees are going into the 2025 season with what they already have: a rotation of Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, Marcus Stroman, Will Warren and reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, who is expected to return from injury in the summer.
Despite panic about the team’s pitching, the Yankees still have a high-end rotation. Fried has maintained an ERA below 3.50 each of the last five seasons, with three below 3.00.
