Former Cy Young Floated as Trade Solution to New York Yankees Injury Woes

The New York Yankees may have a need for more starting pitching and a pursuit of this Cy Young winner could be worth the gamble.

Feb 28, 2025; Jupiter, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) delivers a pitch against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

With the start of the regular season right around the corner for the New York Yankees, the franchise might be getting ready to hit the panic button. 

It has been a spring training to forget for the Yankees, who have seen numerous key players suffer injuries. 

The last blow might be the toughest, as their ace, Gerrit Cole, appears like he will be heading toward getting Tommy John surgery, based on a report on Sunday. The Yankees are getting a second opinion. 

This is a significant blow to the starting rotation with the former Cy Young award winner being their ace. Cole missed a good chunk of the season last year for New York, but was able to return in the second half and pitch well in the postseason. 

Now, it appears as if the veteran right-hander may be out for the rest of the season, leaving quite the void in a starting rotation that will be also be without Luis Gil until at least July. 

The timing isn't great with free agency over, and with the team having World Series expectations, they might have to head to the trade market to try and make a splash. 

Brendan Kuty of The Athletic (paid subscription required) recently spoke about the Yankees utilizing the trade market to help fill the void if Cole is going to miss a significant amount of time. 

“One name that may come to mind for Yankees fans if Cole must miss lots of time is righty Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins," he wrote.

Since the Miami Marlins are a team that is rebuilding, Alcántara certainly seems like a name that will be available for the right price. However, that price could be high considering his skill level. 

The former Cy Young missed the 2024 campaign to recover from his own Tommy John surgery, but when healthy, he can be one of the best in the game. 

In 2022, the two-time All-Star had an incredible year, totaling a 14-9 record, 2.28 ERA and 207 strikeouts. 

The 29-year-old is also under team control at a friendly number for the next three seasons, which only helps his trade value for Miami. 

If the Yankees were looking to go big fish hunting, they might have to part ways with some of the best young prospects. While adding Alcántara would help replace Cole, it could result in another issue if they had to move a player like Jasson Dominguez in order to acquire him. 

This is certainly not a great situation for New York, but there are options likely available on the trade market. Unfortunately, the Yankees will likely have to pay a premium with opposing teams knowing their desperate for help in the rotation at this point.