The cost of acquiring a quality MLB starting pitcher is currently very high, as evidenced by the Astros trading three top prospects for Yusei Kikuchi, who has a 4-9 record and a 4.75 ERA with the Blue Jays. However, the Yankees still need to secure a starter if they want to push their World Series-caliber roster over the edge.
Veteran MLB writer Jon Heyman of the New York Post is advocating for the Yankees to make significant moves rather than minor adjustments. On the morning of the MLB trade deadline, Heyman emphasized the need for the Yankees to be bold to revamp their struggling starting rotation. He also mentioned that struggling starter Nestor Cortes might be traded if they succeed.
Potential trade candidates for the Yankees come with complications. Garrett Crochet won’t be available for the playoffs without an extension. The Tigers are not keen on trading Tarik Skubal despite receiving offers. Jack Flaherty is a rental whose price increased after the Kikuchi trade. Blake Snell’s contract could impose a significant cap hit.
These are valid reasons for the Yankees to hesitate on acquiring a pitcher, but Heyman insists: “They better do something.”
Yankees Trade Deadline Needs More Than Jazz Chisholm
“This deadline can’t be considered a huge winner if the Yankees only land Chisholm and a reliever or two — even if they somehow outflank the dozen or so teams in the bidding for All-Star-caliber closers Tanner Scott, Kyle Finnegan or Pete Fairbanks,” Heyman wrote in a blog entry titled, “Yankees must make major rotation move despite sky-high price.”
“The Yankees are Major League Baseball’s premier team; they haven’t won or been to the World Series in 15 years, and (Juan) Soto might leave after the season (though the New Yorker in me thinks he’d be wise to stay). And even if they accomplish nothing else, they aren’t the top club in their division, let alone the league or MLB.”
Prospect Group Just Not Strong Enough for Major Trade
The Yankees are constrained by a mediocre group of prospects, a situation exacerbated by the trade they made to acquire Soto from the Padres. If they fail in the playoffs, the likelihood of Soto leaving in free agency next winter increases, creating double the pressure to win now.
Acquiring the necessary talent could cost the Yankees their No. 2 prospect, Spencer Jones, or their top pitching prospect, Chase Hampton. The price will be steep, but Heyman argues they must be willing to take the risk on pitchers like Garrett Crochet or Blake Snell, despite the uncertainties they bring.
At the very least, the Yankees need to acquire Jack Flaherty, who is also being targeted by the Orioles, a team with a deeper and more talented farm system.
The Yankees have few alternatives. Heyman emphasizes, “They need to bolster their rotation in a big way, not just because the Orioles (and Dodgers) are the most likely teams to do so, but also because they are just not good enough. I get it. The price of doing business isn’t just high, it’s extraordinary. But it’s time to act.”