The Yankees Can't Hesitate When It Comes To The Starting Rotation

The Yankees are in a rough spot, and when key players like Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton go down, the priority has to be fixing the problem—because that’s what the fans deserve, especially after last year’s World Series loss. But let’s be real: the Yankees shouldn’t have even been in the World Series. That team wasn’t particularly strong, and their manager was even worse.

That’s in the past, though. Right now, we’ve got a whole new set of problems. Brian Cashman is already laying the groundwork for inaction, claiming there’s not much available. “We’ll just evaluate what’s available, and this time of year, very little is available,” he told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com on Tuesday. “Normally, the more significant opportunities don’t exist until the trade deadline.”

So, let me get this straight—we’re gonna wait. So, what happens when we’re 12 games back, desperate for reinforcements, and we just sit tight and wait for the trade deadline? By then, it could be too late.

I’ve already made the case for Trevor Bauer—he’s affordable and still an elite pitcher—but the Yankees refuse to even consider him. Not good. 

But what about other options? There’s been plenty of talk about Sandy Alcantara, with speculation that the Yankees could make a move for him by the deadline. Maybe that’s what Cashman was alluding to, but the Yankees need urgency now, not later.

The question is: what would it take to get Alcantara? Ismael Hernández de Dios of AIBat suggests trading Will Warren, Spencer Jones, and 19-year-old infielder George Lombard Jr. to Miami. Trading away Jones, especially after his impressive spring, would be ridiculous. The Yankees should be developing talent for their own future, not just shipping it off. But here’s the bigger issue—Cashman isn’t even making calls. Why? Who knows.

As Essentially Sports put it best:

“The New York Yankees cannot afford to hesitate. Hesitation could indeed have cost the Yankees everything. Just look at what is left of the rotation. Carlos Rodón is available. He posted a 3.96 ERA in 2024 but still has not regained his All-Star form. In addition, the New York Yankees has Clarke Schmidt. Despite a respectable 4.64 ERA in 2023, he lost the charm and got just a 2.86 ERA in 2024. There is a scope with Marcus Stroman, who struggled with injuries in the past and played very effectively in 2024.”

And sure, Max Fried is a great pitcher, but this is his first season in New York. Expecting him to put up a 20-5 record with a 2.35 ERA is unrealistic. That’s an insane amount of pressure to put on him.

The bottom line? The Yankees’ rotation right now is mediocre. And instead of taking action, they’re just hoping things work out. That’s a terrible strategy. This team needs help, and pitchers are available… they just don’t want to do anything.