After making it all the way to the World Series last year, the New York Yankees seem just a piece or two away from returning.
The team had the second-most wins in the American League going into Thursday but if it wants to fortify the roster for a deep playoff run, it might have to seek out another starting pitcher. Gerrit Cole will miss the season and Luis Gil has yet to pitch, with Marcus Stroman lingering on the injured list.
Unfortunately for New York, the team’s potential list of trade targets just took a hit as Minnesota Twins star Pablo Lopez has been ruled out for several months with a shoulder problem.
“The Yankees had been closely monitoring Minnesota Twins ace Pablo Lopez as a potential top-of-the-rotation trade acquisition,” Alexander Wilson wrote for Empire Sports Media. “With a 2.82 ERA over 60.2 innings and elite peripheral stats, he looked like the missing piece for October stability.”
Lopez is in the second season of a four-year, $73 million contract with the Twins. The team has the American League’s third-best record, so it’s far from a sure thing the Yankees would have been able to pry him away from the Twins. But now, after this unfortunate health news, Wilson believes the team will change course and consider some alternative trade options.
“With Lopez sidelined, general manager Brian Cashman must now pivot quickly to find the next viable solution,” he wrote. “The Yankees don’t need an ace – they just need someone who can bridge the gap and provide some rotational glue.”
With the trade deadline just a few weeks away, the Yankees might have to identify the right trade target sooner rather than later.
