Former A’s Pitcher a Smart Yankees Target Amid Injury News
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At the New York Yankees postmortem press conference, manager Aaron Boone and GM Brian Cashman detailed the injuries facing the club heading into the offseason, and likely past Opening Day in 2026. Gerrit Cole is one player they'll be without, but hope to have back early in the season. Carlos Rodòn underwent surgery this week, and is also expected to miss Opening Day.
That's two pretty big pieces that New York is expecting to be without, even if it's at the beginning of the season. Clarke Schmidt can be added to that list after undergoing Tommy John this summer.
With those three members of the rotation unavailable to begin the year, that would leave Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil and Will Warren. With Cole and Rodón expected back early on in 2026, there may be no need to go after a big Skubal-esque target that would cost a lot of prospect capital.
Instead, they could end up going after a reliable starter that they have some familiarity with, because they traded him to the Athletics back in 2022. The pitcher in question would be JP Sears.
Why This Addition Makes Sense
Sears, 29, has shown the type of pitcher he is, which is roughly league average over the course of three seasons in the A's rotation. He also made his start every fifth day while with the A's, which is something that a team like the Yankees could certainly be after. Injuries crop up over the course of a season, and having someone that can consistently provide decent innings is underrated.
Of course, Sears was part of the Mason Miller trade with the San Diego Padres at the deadline, so he's no longer with the Athletics. The direction the Padres choose to take this winter will be interesting, with financial limitations and a number of big pieces set to hit free agency.
They'll have to make decisions on which players to bring back, which could lead to clearing Sears' modest projected salary of $3.5 million. That led to MLB Trade Rumors thinking he may end up being non-tendered this winter, along with the 5.47 ERA he held across five starts with the club.
Yankees a Fit
While Sears was never named the A's Opening Day starter, he was an important piece for the club during their rebuild seasons. He's a professional on the field and in his responses to the media, plus he's a reliable teammate.
The Yankees could certainly go after a bigger name, either on the free agent or trade market, but Sears is someone they're familiar with, and he wouldn't cost a ton to bring in via free agency or trade.
Given that the need in the rotation isn't for a frontline guy, or even for a long period of time, adding Sears and his modest salary would make sense while the Yankees could go after bigger fish elsewhere.
He'd serve as a spot starter for the club that could also go multiple innings in relief, if needed, and he also comes with one more option year attached just in case the pitching staff gets crowded.
Could the Yankees come up with another way to answer their problem about who will be in the rotation? Of course. But adding Sears would be a solid stabilizing pickup for when the club needs an extra arm, or some innings out of the 'pen. Plus, they're familiar with him already and may be able to help him reach a slightly higher level of performance.
Jason has been covering the A’s at various sites for over a decade, and was the original host of the Locked on A’s podcast. He also covers the Stanford Cardinal as they attempt to rebuild numerous programs to prominence.
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