The New York Yankees’ starting rotation should be getting a huge boost next season when Gerrit Cole returns. However, the team may still feel a need to add another starter.
Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Cam Schlittler and Luis Gil may be one of the best groups of starters next season. However, the Yankees may feel pressure to leave no doubt going into next season. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden listed the Yankees as a team that is “likely to have interest” in a trade for Sandy Alcántara.
Alcántara won the National League Cy Young Award in 2022. He struggled the following season and missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He was not having a great season this year either, and was not moved at the trade deadline.
However, he finished out the year on a high note and may have restored some trade value. The Miami Marlins could capitalize on this opportunity. He had a 2.68 ERA in his final eight starts. He went at least six innings in each of those starts, showing signs of being the workhorse he was in 2022.
The Yankees do not need Alcántara to be an ace. The team has two elite frontline starters in Fried and Cole. However, a full year removed from Tommy John surgery, Alcántara could once again be dominant.
The Yankees are not just thinking about the regular season. Alcántara, Cole and Fried would give the Yankees an elite trio in a postseason series as well.
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