The current five-man rotation of the New York Yankees consists of Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes and Clark Schmidt, so there is a big question mark.
When spring training begins in a little over a month, they will likely add at least one established starting pitcher via trade, free agency, or both. The Yankees have been linked to several major trade targets. USA Today’s Bob Nightingale reported interest in Cleveland shortstop Shane Bieber and Miami Marlins lefty Jesus Luzardo. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that they have threatened Dylann Seaz of the Chicago White Sox.Of course, the Guardians, Marlins and White Sox don’t give away pitchers for free. The Yankees must trade desirable players to acquire pitchers. Below are some of the candidates most likely to do business with the organization. major league playerFor the purposes of this exercise, we will consider anyone who played in the MLB last season to be a major leaguer. Of course, some may not make the 26-man roster in spring practice.Oswald Peraza is a young player who needs playing time and a change of environment. The 23-year-old shortstop was a consensus top-100 prospect in MLB before the 2023 season. His best asset is defense, which could one day earn him a Gold Glove. He had a perfect .836 OPS in Triple-A last year, but hit .191/.267/.272 in 191 plate appearances with the Yankees. Meanwhile, rookie Anthony Volpe won the Gold Glove at shortstop and could be Peraza’s natural spot at shortstop for the foreseeable future. Everson Pereira is another popular player who has failed to make an impact in the big leagues. He appeared in 27 games as a left-handed pitcher in September, but hit just .151/.233/.194. He turned 23 in April, hit .300/.373/.548 in double-A and triple-A last season and can play all three outfield positions, but needs to improve his pitch recognition and decision making of change. He is now behind a bevy of major leaguers after the club traded for Juan Soto, Trent Grisham and Alex Verdugo. Unlike Peraza and Pereira, Jason Dominguez had little trouble pitching in MLB from the minor leagues, hitting four home runs in eight games before suffering an elbow injury. Injuries will keep him out for the first few months of the 2024 season, but his future is far from over. The Yankees could see him as their center fielder of the future, so he’s a more valuable (and less viable) trade asset.Ben Rotved himself wouldn’t change much in a trade for the front-line starter, but he’s still a trade candidate. The Yankees are relying on Jose Trevino and Austin Wells as their two catchers this season, but Rotvedt has no minor league options. The team must either add him to the 26-man roster or waive him. Since they have a fourth and fifth catcher on the 40-man roster (minor leaguers Carlos Narvaez and Agustín Ramirez), they might want to get something in trade for Rotvedt instead of taking three backstops to the major leagues.viewThe top prospect in the Yankees system is Giants outfielder Spencer Jones. His 6-foot-2 frame, massive power and incredible speed lead to (unfair) comparisons to Aaron Judge, even though he’s left-handed. He reached the Double-A level late last season and could reach the majors later this year, though he still needs significant improvement in pitch recognition and plate coverage. If he can make enough contact (which I’m not sure about), he could lead the MLB in home runs one day. While he’s a little further off the mark than most top players who make it to Double-A at age 22, the Yankees will need a significant rebound to part with him given his enormous potential. The club may not be ready to negotiate for him at all, but other clubs will certainly ask for it.The team split most of its pitching depth between the majors and minors in the Soto trade, which could hinder its ability to add another young pitcher in a deal. However, Chase Hampton and Will Warren continue their developmental trajectory and establish themselves as middle-of-the-pack starters of the future. Both reached the minors and should make their MLB debuts in 2024. Their proximity and superiority attract trade candidates.Hampton and Warren are currently battling for the No. 5 spot, but the Yankees are comfortable using the unproven arm as a depth option. To do this, you must bring at least one pot. If this is necessary, some of the above players report other franchises for spring exercises.
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