Despite losing ace Gerrit Cole and last year’s AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, the New York Yankees’ rotation has been surprisingly dominant. With last winter’s free agent acquisition Max Fried and Carlos Rodon heading the rotation with respective ERAs of 1.84 and 2.87 while combining for 17 wins, the rotation is performing much better than many expected after two of New York’s starters went down before the season even began. The Yankees trade deadline may include an addition in pitching.
Not everything has been peachy in terms of starting pitching. With Marcus Stroman also on the injured list, the Yankees have had to make adjustments to the back half of the rotation, signing (and later releasing) veteran Carlos Carrasco and even moving long-reliever Ryan Yarbrough from the bullpen into the rotation. While there have been occasional solid performances from players like Clarke Schmidt and rookie Will Warren, the latter part of the rotation remains a point of concern.
Bolstering the Rotation
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Yankees are searching for another arm to add to the rotation. While they’re also reportedly in the market for a right-handed hitter who preferably can play third base, offense has certainly been the team’s strong suit over pitching, so it’s likely that the team may prioritize adding a starting pitcher over a bat. While Luis Gil should return sometime during the summer, a team can never have enough pitching depth, especially a team without their ace. With that said, here are three trade candidates whom the Yankees could target before July 31st’s trade deadline.
1. Patrick Corbin
After a disastrous six-year stretch with the Washington Nationals in which he had just a singular season with an ERA below 4.50, Corbin has been elite for the Texas Rangers this season. Pitching to a 3.52 ERA over 61 1/3 innings, Corbin drew interest from the Yankees during Spring Training, but ended up signing a $1.1 million deal with the Rangers on March 18.
On a Rangers squad that sits at 32-35, thanks in large part to the performances of their starters (they rank 27th in MLB in runs scored), Corbin will be an intriguing deadline asset that Texas will likely field offers for. Adding another left-hander to New York’s rotation wouldn’t be ideal, though, being that three of the Yankees’ five current starters are southpaws.
2. Sandy Alcantara
True, Alcantara does have the worst ERA in the Majors among pitchers with at least 50 innings (7.14), but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be considered the upgrade for a Yankees trade deadline acquisition. The right-hander has run into a lot of bad luck lately, and that’s not even including his Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2024 season. According to Baseball Savant, he has an expected ERA of 4.57, which isn’t great, but he does have a very high ground ball rate (50.8%), which would be more useful behind the Yankees’ defense compared to the Miami Marlins.
It may even be a perfect time for the Yankees to trade for him, since his trade value has gone down a bit thanks to his rocky start so far. Things will surely improve for the 29-year-old, who is under team control through 2027, and he’s allowed just 2 earned runs over his last two starts (12 innings). Still, the return will be pricey, but at the same time, the Yanks’ rotation would be almost unfair if they acquire Alcantara and he returns to elite form.
3. Freddy Peralta
The Milwaukee Brewers likely won’t be willing to sell one of their best pitchers until they are dead in the water, but it would make sense based on their recent track record. Within the last decade, the Brewers have rarely let good players walk in free agency, instead opting to get a return for them before their contracts expire. If they end up as a long shot for the postseason by the deadline, there is a good chance that they’ll try to get a return out of Peralta.
The right-hander does have a club option for 2026, but this likely wouldn’t deter them from seeking a trade (see Devin Williams). Peralta, who has pitched at least 140 innings with an ERA under 4.00 in 3 of the last 4 seasons, will necessitate a package that the Yankees may not want to commit to. However, New York’s World Series window looks like it could close soon, so giving up a few prospects for another All-Star caliber pitcher is definitely not out of the realm of possibility.
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