The New York Yankees have been looking for a solid starting pitcher for a long time. This winter, the NY side failed to sign the biggest international free agent, Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Moreover, throughout the offseason, the Bronx Bombers could not seal a deal with top ace pitchers like Corbin Burnes and Dylan Cease. But always they came so close. Lately, they missed out on the opportunity to land Blake Snell. The two-time Cy Young winner signed with the San Francisco Giants for a two-year deal worth $62 million. Moreover, the reigning NL Cy Young winner is eligible for a signing bonus of $17 million in 2026.
Now, there is a bigger concern for the NY side before the Opening Day. Their ace pitcher and the AL 2023 Cy Young winner, Gerrit Cole, will be unavailable for one to two months due to a right elbow injury. Anyway, the Yankees starting lineup looked shaky from the start. Now, it looks even weaker. Lately, the team suggested that Nestor Cortes replace Cole on Opening Day. However, the absence of Cole has scared the Yankees, as it seems. They are looking to sign a young ace pitcher who’s under team control until 2027.
Yankees Might Sign Jesus Luzardo
Recently, Jon Heyman of The New York Post mentioned that the Yankees have been talking with the Miami Marlins about a trade to sign Jesus Luzardo. However, Heyman says they have not been able to get traction in their talks with the Marlins. Luzardo is a left-handed 26-year-old star. The other starting pitchers who are in the market, along with Luzardo, are some more depth pieces. For instance, the 2023 All-Stars Michael Lorenzen as well as Mike Clevinger are the leading trade options available in the market. Clearly, Luzardo is not as big a star as the two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell.
However, the lefty can significantly upgrade the NY side’s rotation. In 2023, Jesus Luzardo had a 3.58 ERA, as well as a 208 to 55 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Moreover, in 2022, with the Miami Marlins again, Luzardo posted a 3.32 ERA, 120 strikeouts, and 35 walks. The Marlins have Luzardo under team control until 2027. If the Yankees really go all-in for Luzardo, they might have to pay a heavy prospect price. However, in these circumstances, without Gerrit Cole, a trade like that would make a lot of sense.
Gerrit Cole’s Absence Makes The Rotation Look Thin
The Yankees still need to add to their lineup. Perhaps Luzardo is a perfect fit. However, Cole really is irreplaceable for the Bronx Bombers. Arguably, he might even be the best pitcher in baseball. Last year, Gerrit Cole was the only Yankee with tremendous stats. That is the reason why he won the Cy Young Award, finally.
He has been deserving and worthy to win that award for a pretty long time. But last season was not a memorable one for the Yankees. And even Cole said that winning the World Series with the Yankees would mean the world to him. Without Cole in the lineup, the Bombers look very thin and weak ahead of the Opening Day. But the good news is that Gerrit Cole will be back in one to two months’ time.
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