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The New York Yankees have a clear need on their roster and it could be time to consider how to fill it.
After a holistic offseason roster overhaul, the Yankees seemed to address every aspect of the team. That included the rotation with a major new contract for Max Fried. But then Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil hit the injured list before the season started, followed shortly by Marcus Stroman, and the team could use some frontline reinforcement.
Clarke Schmidt made his return to the mound on Monday, but he gave up five earned runs on seven hits in a loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Shortly following Schmidt’s poor outing, ESPN’s David Schoenfield proposed a trade deadline deal that would bring Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara to the Bronx.
“The Yankees did just get Clarke Schmidt back, but they could certainly use a rotation upgrade,” Schoenfield wrote.
Schoenfield pegged the Yankees as one of the three most likely landing spots for Alcantara, who has posted a 7.27 ERA in his first four starts of the season as he looks to return to his 2022 Cy Young Award form.
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The specific asking price for Alcantara could depend on how his rebound season progresses. The Marlins could also opt to hold onto him amid their rebuilding, as he’s under contract through the 2026 season after signing a five-year, $56 million deal with the club.
But Schoenfield named a pair of young pitchers from the Yankees organization who might headline a deal for Alcantara before this season wraps up, noting that Will Warren and Ben Hess are likely to carry the most cache for the Yankees in a deadline deal.
“It’s hard to envision them trading top prospect George Lombard Jr., plus Spencer Jones’ stock has fallen, so let’s list a couple of pitchers here,” Schoenfield wrote. “Warren has had some big league time and would give the Marlins an MLB-ready starter. Hess was the Yankees’ first-round pick last year and perhaps has more upside but is further away from the majors.”
As the Yankees continue to struggle on the mound, the addition of another high-volume starter seems more and more likely.
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Peter Chawaga is a veteran journalist covering Major League Baseball for The Sporting News. His MLB reporting has included feature interviews with commissioner Rob Manfred and Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz, salary analysis, player rankings and more. He has covered baseball for Forbes, Yardbarker, Pitcher List, Athlon and other outlets.
With over ten years of newsroom experience, he has previously covered finance, technology, arts, and culture for newspapers, magazines, and websites nationwide. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in English and journalism.
English (US)