The New York Yankees got their first quality start of the season from Max Fried on Wednesday. That helped boost the team's short-term prospects but doesn't change the long-term outlook of Aaron Boone's starting rotation. Change is necessary if the group is going to power New York to the top of the AL East.
In fairness to GM Brian Cashman and his front office, they could not reasonably be expected to prepare for the amount of injuries the group has already endured. Gerrit Cole missing the entire season put the franchise behind the eight-ball before the regular season began. Luis Gil being shut down for multiple months was another potentially fatal blow to the Yankees' rotation.
Carlos Carrasco and Will Warren were never expected to start the season as starters the team was going to count on. Carrasco's age makes him a bandaid at best. The chances of him remaining in the rotation for the full year are minimal.
Warren has more upside but his uneven performances in the early going may show it's a year too early for him to handle 150+ innings at the major league level. He could be headed back down to the minors if Clarke Schmidt returns to the big leagues next week as anticipated.
Add all this up and it's clear Cashman should be canvassing the trade market for potential upgrades. It will take a while for the trade market to fully develop but here are three realistic additions the Yankees should have their eyes on.
1. Sandy Alcantara
The Marlins might have dealt Sandy Alcantara last year if he hadn't missed the campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Now that he's shown the rest of MLB that he's healthy it's time for Miami to sell high on their most valuable asset.
Alcantara looked good all Spring and he's backed that up with two decent starts to start his 2025 season. Striking out 11 hitters in 9.2 innings pitched should make evaluators comfortable with the state of his arm.
The talented righty's contract status also increases his trade value. The Marlins have his rights for two more years at a reasonable number. That sort of control is exceedingly valuable to a Yankees franchise that is trying to keep its payroll under control.
Of course, that financial reality will only embolden the Marlins to ask for a massive return in exchange for their last remaining veteran. It remains to be seen whether or not Cashman is ready to gut the farm system to fortify his starting rotation. Someone will spend big on Alcantara and that team might be the Yankees if their desperation continues to build.
2. Dylan Cease
The Padres are always hesitant to pay players big number and Dylan Cease's payday is coming. This is the season where San Diego can cash in on their front line starter before he gets too expensive to stay in town.
The one potential hitch in the Padres' plans is that Cease is off to a very poor start to his season. His 7.98 ERA certainly hasn't done anything to boost his trade value. Savvy teams will understand that's too small of a sample size to draw any lasting conclusions. It's still a data point the Yankees will consider.
Cease has the stuff required to be a No. 2 starter for a team with World Series aspirations. He'll be an expensive trade target for the Yankees but they should only consider meaningful upgrades. San Diego might hold off on moving him while they stay in the postseason race but they'll move him the moment their playoff chances go up in smoke.
3. Erick Fedde
If Cashman wants to take a more measured approach towards reinforcing his rotation then Erick Fedde could emerge as a prime trade target. The veteran right-hander has been a different pitcher since spending a season in Korea.
He's a valuable member of the Cardinals' pitching staff at the moment but they understand it will be hard to keep him once he hits free agency in the offseason. That should position him to be one of the most sought-after rentals on this year's trade market.
The return St. Louis can expect to get for Fedde should be a step or below what Alcantara and Cease are going to cost. He won't be what anyone considers to be a bargain move but the price might be more palatable for Cashman and the team's brain trust. That could also mean that he's a half measure that isn't good enough to be a high impact postseason arm for the Yankees.