3 pitchers Yankees need to add after missing on Dylan Cease trade again

The New York Yankees are in trouble heading into Opening Day. Ace starting pitcher Gerrit Cole is out for the next one-to-two months at minimum due to a right elbow injury. While the MRI confirmed his UCL is not torn, Cole is meeting with surgeon Neal ElAttrache to further survey the injury to get a better idea of how long he could be sidelined.

As the Yankees waited for MRI results, they reached back out to the Chicago White Sox for starting pitcher Dylan Cease. The thing is, the Yankees tried to make an offer without Spencer Jones, their No. 2 prospect. But they lost out.

The White Sox traded Cease to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Drew Thorpe (No. 5 prospect), outfielder Samuel Zavala (No. 7), right-handed pitcher Jairo Iriarte (No. 8), and relief pitcher Steven Wilson. It's ironic that the Padres sent Thorpe, who the Yankees gave in the Juan Soto trade earlier this offseason, to take a starting pitcher New York was targeting.

Now it's back to the drawing board for the Yankees. Here are three starting pitchers they should target before Opening Day.

3. Michael Lorenzen, Free Agent

It's highly doubtful that the New York Yankees will try to sign Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, since both would cost a lot of money. Not just that, but the Yankees would have to pay a 110 percent tax on said contracts, so that's going to be a huge investment.

One player the team could target, who just so happens to be on the open market, is Michael Lorenzen.

Last season, Lorenzen started the year with the Detroit Tigers, where he recorded a 3.58 ERA, a 1.098 WHIP, and 83 strikeouts over 105.2 innings. Lorenzen was named to the All-Star Game for the first time in his career with those numbers, and instantly became a trade candidate for a Tigers team, and was ultimately flipped to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Lorenzen's numbers with the Phillies inflated, as he struggled in seven starts before transitioning to the bullpen. But Lorenzen would throw a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals in his first home start for the Phillies.

This offseason, Lorenzen is seeking a two-year contract, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

If the Yankees have no desire to add one of Snell or Montgomery, than Lorenzen is an easy pivot point for them.