5 trade candidates Yankees should monitor in 2025 to help replace Gerrit Cole

When Juan Soto rebuffed the Yankees' offer to stay in the Bronx, they pivoted to a new game plan — one that would strengthen their pitching staff in hopes of offsetting the possibility of diminished offensive production. Their strategy looked slick on paper. After all, adding Max Fried, the top left-handed starter on the market, and Devin Williams, a two-time All-Star and one of the best closers in the game, just days after Soto's decision to play for the Mets made for a staggering response. But, as general manager Brian Cashman likes to say, "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans."

The Yankees entered spring training with a top-three rotation in baseball, and now that staff is limping into Opening Day with 40% of its starters on the injured list and a whole host of open-ended questions about their durability. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery this week. Right-hander Luis Gil, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year, will miss at least three months with a high-grade lat strain. Clarke Schmidt is dealing with a cranky back and will have a delayed start to the season. Fried is now the club's de facto ace, but he dealt with forearm issues just last season, and it's a legitimate concern whether he can stay healthy for a full year.

"We've taken a number of hits to the starting rotation," Cashman told reporters in Tampa, Fla. this week. "We certainly can't afford to take anymore."

It's clear the Yankees need more starting pitching depth to save their season, but due to the timing of these injuries, they have little choice but to go with the arms they have internally and wait until the July 31 trade deadline to make a significant outside addition. What's left of the