MLB Rumors: Yankees Linked To 3 Ace Starting Pitchers
Gerrit Cole is working back from Tommy John surgery, Carlos Rodon is expected to miss the start of 2026 after elbow surgery, and that leaves the rotation looking and feeling thin before the season even begins.
Freddy Peralta
That is why the trade market is starting to feel like the real battleground. Yankees' writer Chris Kirschner has pointed to three arms that fit what the Yankees need: Milwaukee Brewers right hander Freddy Peralta, Washington Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore, and Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara.
The catch with that, however, is that none of those teams are giving away a legitimate starter, and the price is going to hurt in premium prospects.
Peralta is the cleanest win-now fit because he can stabilize the first half of the season and still make a huge difference in October. If the Yankees want a true plug and play option, he checks the most boxes, even if it means paying the kind of prospect package fans hate to even talk about.
Mackenzie Gore
Mackenzie Gore is also a very attractive target.
He's still very young at 26-years-old, and already has four MLB seasons of starting experience under his belt, racking up an impressive 102 starts over his young career. Another very appealing thing about Gore is his durability, especially when we're talking about the Yankees and starting pitching.
Injuries have been a huge roadblock for their rotation, and to get a guy who's started at least 27 games in the past three seasons would be a very comfortable feeling. He's also under team control for a couple more seasons.
Over his four-year career, Gore holds a 4.19 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, with 589 strikeouts across 532.1 innings and 105 appearances.
Sandy Alcantara
Sandy Alcantara is the ultimate swing, and it is only worth it if the Yankees believe the post surgery version is trending back to elite.
Everyone knows who Alcantara was just a couple of seasons ago. A Cy Young season, with a 2.28 ERA over 32 starts and a league-leading 228.2 innings, six complete games, one shutout, and an insane 8.0 WAR.
After the 2022 season, Alcantara held a career 3.10 ERA over six seasons. It's all been downhill from there, unfortunately. Following that season, he came back with a disappointing 4.14 ERA over 28 starts and then missed the entire 2024 season with injury.
And just this past season, coming back from Tommy John, the 30-year-old recorded an ugly 5.36 ERA over 31 starts and 174.2 innings.
All in all to say, it's a huge gamble for the Yankees, especially if the Marlins' asking price is steep. But if the Yankees believe that one more year removed from Tommy John, and with their staff, they can get Alcantara back to his elite form, it's a gamble definitely worth taking.
Photo Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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