New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has been dealing with elbow soreness for the last week or so. After initial testing, the righty was sent to have an MRI, and the situation appeared to cast a huge shadow over a successful offseason turnaround in the Bronx.
Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden recently reported that Cole was recommended to have Tommy John surgery. Bowden also reported that the team was waiting for a second opinion, but it sure doesn't seem like the Cy Young winner will return any time soon.
The situation has gone from bad to worse. Now, the Bronx Bombers will need to quickly enter the trade market. They're already set to be without Luis Gil for a month or so; Losing Cole for the season would compound that problem into a much bigger one.
The best option on the market for the Yankees sits in Miami.
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This Yankees-Marlins trade is the best possible solution to New York's Gerrit Cole problem
Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara is likely to be the best pitcher on the trade market this season, as the Fish look to continue their years-long rebuild. Following Gil and Cole's injuries, Alcántara's trade market could quickly heat up.
A deal for Alcántara would be huge. The righty was the best pitcher on the planet in 2022 en route to a Cy Young award. He took a step back in 2023 and was injured for the entire 2024 season, but his 2025 spring training performances have looked more like his 2022 season than anything.
Jones has all the tools to be a big leaguer right now. He likely won't get that chance with the Yankees this season unless somebody goes down with an injury, but the young star could get that chance with Miami. Warren. meanwhile, would slot right into the Marlins rotation. He's flashed dominant stuff this spring, led by a devastating sweeper. Arias isn't a big league-ready prospect, as he's still 20 years old, but the middle infielder has tremendous raw tools. He's exactly the kind of prospect Miami is looking to add right now.
It may cost more than this for the Marlins to say yes, but the return is loaded. Miami would acquire two prospects who could play for them right now, Warren and Jones, while acquiring another talented youngster with a lot of potential.
The Yankees would add an ace with three years of team control. Alcántara would sit atop the New York pitching rotation with Max Fried. The righty is an innings eater who can be the best pitcher in the world when he's at his best.