The New York Yankees recently had three starting pitchers go down with injuries ahead of opening day. Gerrit Cole will miss the entire season while Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil will begin the season on the injured list.
Now the Bronx Bombers have Marcus Stroman, Will Warren, and Carlos Carrasco as the final three pitchers in their rotation.
Many expect the Yankees to make a blockbuster trade in the coming weeks, but it’s unclear who they could look to acquire.
FanSided’s Christopher Kline recently suggested the Yankees could be the team to lure Dylan Cease away from the San Diego Padres in a blockbuster deal this season. Cease is projected to sign for $108 million when he hits free agency at the end of the season, per Spotrac.
“Should the Padres bite the bullet and float Cease on the trade market – and let’s be clear, the Padres will not be able to afford Cease as a free agent – the Yankees are an obvious fit,” Kline wrote. “New York would then need to worry about paying all three of Cole, Fried, and Cease, but it’s a price worth paying for World Series contention. The 29-year-old packs elite strikeout stuff and has been impressively durable in recent years.”
While Cease would be a huge addition to New York, it just doesn’t seem likely that the Yankees could land him.
Looking at Cease’s trade value, it would likely take multiple top-five prospects to lure him away from the Padres. The Yankees would likely keep Jasson Dominguez untouchable in trades. Trading Warren to the Padres would upgrade his spot in the rotation, but it wouldn’t fill the hole New York is trying to fill.
That means the Yankees could need to package a haul of other prospects, likely centered around Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. to acquire him. This doesn’t feel very likely.
That means the Yankees could need to package a haul of other prospects, likely centered around Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. to acquire him. This doesn’t feel very likely.
