If the Diamondbacks continue to sputter, they might find themselves as sellers at the trade deadline, and the Yankees should be one of the first teams calling on some of their rental players.
Merrill Kelly may not be the Cy Young contender and frontline ace that will grab headlines, but he is a formidable number two starter who would elevate the Yankees’ rotation a lot.
With a 3.18 ERA across 14 starts and a 3.22 FIP, the right-hander has pitched at an extremely high level this season, and he could be the perfect rotation upgrade for this staff.
By adding a steady veteran for the middle of their rotation, it would bolster their depth chart and give them some more bullpen flexibility, and they should do anything within reason to acquire Kelly in July.
How Merrill Kelly Could Take the Yankees’ Rotation To Another Level
Merrill Kelly would be the perfect candidate as a right-handed pitcher who can slot right after Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, as he’s been one of the best pitchers in the National League this season.
His 3.18 ERA and 3.22 FIP are excellent marks, and Kelly has gotten better with more starts as he’s made some key adjustments to his repertoire.
Through his first eight starts, Kelly had an 18.4% K% and 4.09 ERA, struggling to get swings and misses and allowing six home runs in 44 innings.
The four-seam fastball he used to have success with in 2022 and 2023 had become an ineffective pitch, with batters slugging .660 against it with a .378 xwOBA, but he was using it more than any other pitch in his arsenal (30%).
Over his last six starts, Kelly has a 31.7% K% and a 2.13 ERA, as he’s allowed just two home runs in 38 innings of work.
Kelly has dialed down the four-seam usage, utilizing it just 18.3% of the time and increasing his cutter usage from 15.2% to 24.1%.
Merrill Kelly, Painted 91mph Back Door Cutter. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/YK447PD5U0
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 5, 2025
Merrill Kelly has elite-level command and it allows him to navigate through brilliant lineups despite sitting around 91-92 MPH on his fastballs.
He also has an extremely diverse repertoire, throwing six different pitches and mixing them in effectively, as all of them have a > 25% usage rate.
With the ability to manipulate the spin of his pitches in all directions from a low arm angle, Merrill Kelly is successful against right-handed and left-handed batters, with a .275 wOBA vs LHB and a .245 wOBA vs RHB.
I also love how often he pitches deep into games, averaging nearly six innings pitched a start, which is very valuable to have after Max Fried and Carlos Rodon, who have become effective inning eaters.
All three of them rank in the top 20 in innings pitched and innings pitched per game among qualified starters.
Your bullpen won’t get taxed as much in the regular season, and come playoff time you have three pitchers capable of facing a lineup three times if needed.
The Yankees would suddenly boast one of the best rotations in baseball, with Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Will Warren, and Ryan Yarbrough all competing for backend spots in the starting five.
If they want to land Merrill Kelly at the deadline it’ll cost some prospects and I believe this mock trade could be an enticing offer for Arizona:
- Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (#6 Prospect)
- Griffin Herring (#17 Prospect)
- Brendan Beck (NR)
The Diamondbacks would add three starting pitchers for their farm system, with Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz headlining the package that would head to Arizona.
An added bonus for the Yankees? They could turn one of their starters into a deadly bullpen piece for the summer.
READ MORE: Yankees pitching coach explains how the team approached Devin Williams’ early-season struggles
How Will Warren’s Role Could Change to Benefit the Yankees
There’s nothing for Will Warren to learn in Triple-A at this point, if he’s going to pitch it should be at the Major League level.
Brent Headrick, Ian Hamilton, and Yerry De Los Santos all have Minor League options while Jonathan Loaisiga is only one a one-year deal.
If these arms continue to struggle, a bullpen role could open up for the right-hander, and I believe he would dominate in that environment for a contender.
His fastball velocity (four-seamers and sinkers) is at 93.8 MPH in the first two innings but drops to just 92.8 MPH after that, and his numbers fall off of a cliff after his first time through a lineup.
Will Warren has a dynamic repertoire that could be devastating in a shortened role, being able to sit around 94-95 MPH on his four-seamer and sinker with excellent secondary pitches.
The sweeper, changeup, and curveball are all swing-and-miss weapons, and while Warren has very limited experience in a bullpen role, this could help him continue to mature as a pitcher while addressing a hole on the roster.
If he transitions into this role effectively, the Yankees still have arms like J.T. Brubaker, Cam Schlittler, or Ryan Yarbrough who can start in a pinch if one of their main five arms go down.
Adding Merrill Kelly and activating Brubaker and Gil off the IL would give the Yankees the depth they need to pull this off in the second half without hindering their rotation depth chart.
Even Allan Winans could make a spot start if needed, so they can go all-in on Warren being a reliever of significant value to the roster.
When Luke Weaver and Jake Cousins return to join Devin Williams, Fernando Cruz, Mark Leiter Jr., and Tim Hill, that group could become extremely formidable.
It also lessens the burden on the farm system for bullpen depth, as Brian Cashman can focus on acquiring a singular reliever who can provide a massive impact in the seventh or eighth innings.
Merrill Kelly isn’t the sexiest name on the market nor does he have overwhelming stuff, but he’s a really good number two or number three starter who gives your staff more flexibility come playoff time.
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