Gerrit Cole is a former Cy Young award winner, an elite pitcher, and the ace of the New York Yankees. He helped the team reach their first World Series in 2024 since 2009, but if the Yankees want to get back to the World Series again this season, they will have to do it without him. Cole is set to undergo season-ending Tommy Jon surgery and will miss the entire 2025 season and post-season. Although the Yankees might not do something right away, it would be in their best interest to go find a SP on the trade market to bolster a rotation that will also be without AL ROY Luis Gil for a minimum of three months. Here are five pitchers the Yankees should target on the trade market.
Michael King, San Diego Padres
King is a former Yankee who was traded prior to the 2024 season in exchange for Juan Soto. He is set to become a free agent at the end of 2025, and the Padres have already discussed the possibility of trading him. He would be the ideal target for the Yankees, who are familiar with him and would be able to acquire him without contract obligations beyond this season.
Sandy Alcantara, Miami Marlins
Alcantara is a former NL Cy Young award winner who missed all of last season receiving from surgery. He appears to be in perfect health heading into this season, though, and has been lighting up the radar gun in spring thus far. He is a top of the rotation caliber arm that could immediately make the Yankees forget about the loss of Cole.
Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals
Another former Yankee. Although his tenure in New York was not good, Gray has been a consistent pitcher throughout his career, and the Cardinals have already explored trading him in the past few months.
Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres
Cease has been one of the bigger names on the trade market since the 2024 post-season ended. He is an elite strikeout pitcher that can help any rotation. He, like King, will be a free agent following the 2025 season, so the Padres could be looking to cash out now while his value is still high.
Erick Fedde, St. Louis Cardinals
He is the least heralded of the bunch, but he did have a strong season a year ago with the White Sox. He would be a nice filler in any rotation for the 2025 season.
