New York Yankees spring training has been off to a disastrous start with the injuries quickly mounting weeks out from Opening Day. Already without DJ LeMahieu (calf strain), Giancarlo Stanton (elbow) and Luis Gil (lat strain) for the start of the regular season, the Gerrit Cole injury news on Sunday only made things worse.
As first reported by Jim Bowden of The Athletic, Tommy John surgery has been recommended for the Yankees’ ace. New York is seeking second opinions before a final decision is made, but general manager Brian Cashman admitted the club is ‘prepared for the worst‘ outcome. As a result, it’s worth exploring potential Yankees trade target who could take Gerrit’s spot in the rotation.
Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres
Dylan Cease drew the spotlight in MLB rumors this winter, with the San Diego Padres looking to shed payroll and get value for the All-Star pitcher in a contract year. The 29-year-old right has been excellent on the mound in the last three seasons, recording a 3.40 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with a 10.9 K/9 over the last three seasons. San Diego is currently reluctant to move him, but at least seems willing to entertain it for a strong trade package. New York would need to be willing to sacrifice George Lombard Jr., which is an especially high price to pay for a one-year rental. However, the injuries to Gil and Cole might require New York to make a big move to remain a World Series contender.
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Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are committed to rebuilding, so former Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara will be on the trade block this year. Alcantara, age 29, underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2023 and is now back on the mound. While that is a bit concerning, he did touch 100.4 mph on a four-seamer early in spring training with his changeup (93.2 mph) and slider (90 mph) near his typical velocity. When healthy, he posted a 2.74 ERA< 1.04 WHIP and allowed just 7.2 H/9 from 20220-’22.
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As with Cease, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic believes it would cost two of the Yankees top prospects to land Alcantara. One key difference, however, is that Alcantara is under team control through 2027 with a $17.3 million average annual salary (2025-’26) with a $21 million club option for 2027. If healthy, Alcantara would provide a front-line starter for the Yankees rotation for multiple years.
Erick Fedde, St. Louis Cardinals
New York ultimately might not be willing to overreact to the Gerrit Cole injury with a blockbuster trade for another All-Star starter. If that’s the case, the St. Louis Cardinals have reportedly made Erick Fedde available. In 2024, he compiled a 3.30 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 177.1 innings pitched with the Cardinals and Chicago White Sox. He showed real improvements after a season spent playing in Korea, though, he did have a 5.41 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in his first six seasons with the Washington Nationals.
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At the very least, Fedde keeps the ball on the ground as he finished last season 29th in groundball rate (42.1 percent) with just a 9.9% HR/FB rate. He would be relatively cheap to acquire as a one-year rental entering his age-32 season, plus he’s only making $7.5 million this year.
Jordan Montgomery, Arizona Diamondbacks
If New York pursues external options to fill the void in its starting rotation, one familiar name stands out. Jordan Montgomery is on the outs with the Arizona Cardinals, not having a rotation spot locked up despite his exorbitant salary. That’s largely because he was awful in 2024 – 6.23 ERA and 1.65 WHIP in 117 innings pitched – but the Yankees know what he’s capable of.
- Jordan Montgomery contract (Spotrac): $22.5 million salary in 2025, 2026 free agent
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He came up through the Yankees system and compiled a 3.94 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP across 502.2 innings pitched from 2017-2022. Montgomery proved especially effective from 2021-’23, registering a 3.48 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 524.1 innings. The cost of acquiring Montgomery is eating a significant portion of his contract, but he would be a solid back-end starter in the Yankees rotation.
Michael King, San Diego Padres
Rounding out our list of Yankees trade targets is another pitcher the organization knows very well. Michael King was a key piece in the Juan Soto trade last year and he pitched brilliantly for the San Diego Padres. He set a career-high in innings pitched (173.2), finishing seventh in NL CY Young Award voting thanks to a 2.95 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.
New York knows he can pitch in Yankee Stadium – 2.60 ERA and 0.8 HR/9 from 2020-’23 – and he proved last season he can be a full-time starter. Furthermore, unlike Dylan Cease, there’s a shot at keeping him next season ($15 million mutual option). However, San Diego is reportedly even more inclined to keep him versus Cease, so acquiring him would prove costly to the farm system.