New York Yankees Have Limited Options in Free Agency To Help Ailing Rotation

Who is available in free agency that could help the New York Yankees?

Sep 20, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Gibson (44) looks on after giving up a solo home run to Cleveland Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez (not pictured) during the sixth inning at Busch Stadium. | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

As spring training continues to haunt the New York Yankees, the team is going to have to make some decisions soon about what the roster will look like. 

Despite having high expectations after a great offseason, the Yankees are officially in trouble heading into the year. 

Injuries have piled up, especially in their starting rotation, and New York is likely going to have to look at some external options. 

With Luis Gil out until at least July and Gerrit Cole likely done for the rest of the season with a elbow injury, the great starting rotation of the Yankees a couple of weeks ago is no more. 

Currently, the rotation has Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Marcus Stroman, Clarke Schmidt, and likely Will Warren. 

With a lot of question marks, New York is going to have to consider all options before the start of the campaign. However, at this stage in the offseason, options are limited in free agency.

Currently, there are two veterans still available that might make sense for the Yankees in Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson. 

While neither is going to light it up for New York, both should be able to provide some depth to a rotation that needs healthy arms. 

Lynn is a two-time All-Star who started in 23 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024 and pitched pretty well. He totaled a 7-4 record and 3.84 ERA. The right-hander is now 37 years old, and some teams have considered trying to make him a relief pitcher. 

Staying healthy has been a bit of an issue for Lynn over the past few years, which could be a cause of concern for a team that needs healthy arms. 

Another potential option, also from the Cardinals, is veteran Kyle Gibson. The 37-year-old was also solid last year with a 8-8 record and 4.24 ERA. However, compared to Lynn, he has been able to be a workhorse and a grinder in the rotation. 

For the last four seasons, the former All-Star has totaled at least 165 innings pitched, and has made 30 starts each year during that span. 

Obviously, with the campaign about to start, neither option is ideal. However, Gibson might be the preferred choice based on his ability to eat innings. Since the Yankees are down two starting pitchers, that might be an avenue they look to go down. 

While nothing is official yet on Cole, it doesn’t appear to be good news with at least one recommendation for Tommy John surgery. If their ace is going to miss a lot of time, New York has to bring in some help.