The New York Yankees’ starting rotation won’t be at full strength when opening day rolls around to kick off the 2026 Major League Baseball season.
Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole, and Clarke Schmidt are all expected to be shelved at the beginning of the 2026 season. New York has solid rotation depth already led by Max Fried, Luis Gil, and Cam Schlittler, but it wouldn’t hurt to add a pitcher this offseason.
ESPN’s Tristan Cockcroft pitched a mock trade with the Miami Marlins that would help the rotation by cutting ties with 22-year-old outfielder Jasson Domínguez.
“The Miami Marlins should trade Edward Cabrera to the New York Yankees for Jasson Domínguez,” Cockcroft wrote. “If the Yankees are truly focused on keeping their payroll in check, they’ll need to be creative in how they address their roster shortcomings. Presuming that the team re-signs Cody Bellinger, the Yankees will already have spent a majority of their available free agent budget, and have rendered Dominguez excess with top prospect Spencer Jones also an in-season debut candidate. Domínguez is the kind of high-ceiling youngster the Marlins should be targeting.
“Cabrera is a talented, albeit injury-prone, starter who can provide critical rotation depth while the team waits for the healthy returns of Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, and Clarke Schmidt. Dominguez’s two additional years of team control might make this a slight overpay for the Yankees, but Cabrera’s projected $3.7 million salary via arbitration could make him an ideal, budget-conscious acquisition.”
Cabrera would be a knock-out addition for the starting rotation. He’s just 27 years old and is under team control through the 2028 season. Plus, he’s coming off a season where he logged a 3.53 ERA in a career-high 26 starts. If the Yankees want pitching that won’t break the bank, this would be a good route to go. But only if they’re able to sign another outfielder this offseason, like Bellinger.
More MLB: Yankees Send 8-Year Veteran To Free Agency: Report