Should the Yankees Explore Pitching at the Trade Deadline?
While consistency has been a constant struggle for the New York Yankees' lineup this season, their pitching has been the star of the show. As a team, the Yankees have pitched to a 3.48 ERA, which is the fifth-best in MLB. Max Fried has taken over as the ace of the team, Carlos Rodón is finally regaining his former self, and Clarke Schmidt is continuing his success from last season. Even after dealing with injuries to star ace Gerrit Cole and last year's AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, the starting rotation featuring two arms that would have found themselves elsewhere has dominated. Will Warren most likely would have found himself in Triple-A this season, but he is showing some impressive pitching so far. Ryan Yarbrough, who was originally a reliever, has stepped up and taken over the fifth spot in the rotation. However, the recent injury to Yarbrough that landed him on the 15-day injured list causes some issues for the Yankees, and they might have to look elsewhere for pitching help.
On Friday, manager Aaron Boone discussed when Gil might find himself back with the Yankees and when a rehab assignment could commence. Boone said that they’re “thinking of Gil as a trade deadline acquisition,” meaning he’ll be ready in late July or early August. Gil’s return to the rotation could be a game-changer for the Yankees, especially after Yarbrough’s injury. Last season, Gil posted a 3.50 ERA in 151.2 innings, keeping hitters to a .189 average.
On the trade market this season, a limited number of pitchers are going to be made available by teams. In addition to that, most of them don’t make sense for the Yankees and would require several prospects in exchange. In addition to Gil coming back, the Yankees could welcome Marcus Stroman back in either a starting or reliever role. Stroman has pitched twice for Double-A Somerset in rehab assignments and should be coming back to the team soon. The better idea for the team might be to look for bullpen help since they’re no stranger to having a tired bullpen by the playoffs. As long as the Yankees can keep their division lead, it may be better to wait out their potential options until closer to the deadline.
