The New York Yankees have gotten out of the gates to a good start with a 14-9 record. Even though they are tied atop the American League, there are still areas for improvement if the club wants to get back to the World Series.
The Yankees are middle of the pack in terms of team ERA, posting a 4.03 through the first 23 games of the season. The club's starting pitchers have combined for just four quality starts this year, tied for second to last and ahead of only the Cleveland Guardians.
Injuries have played a part, most notably the void created when Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John surgery in spring training. To defend the AL pennant, New York will likely have to make a move for a starter before the trade deadline in August.
Enter right-hander Sandy Alcántara, the 2022 National League Cy Young winner. While the Miami Marlins pitcher has not been able to find the same form he had during that campaign, when he pitched to a 2.28 ERA with 207 strikeouts, he has shown ace-level ability in the past.
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Why a trade for Alcántara could work for New York — and what they might give up
Alcántara, who underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2023, missed the entirety of the 2024 season. He has stumbled a bit to open 2025, giving up 14 earned runs across his four starts this year.
Even with his early-season struggles, Alcántara is still an option that New York will likely explore to shore up its rotation. He will be one of the top pitching assets on the move at the deadline if Miami decides to make the 27-year-old available.
The Marlins, who are already 5.5 games back in the National League East, aren't in any rush to move Alcántara, according to MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal.
On top of his pedigree, Alcántara won't be an unrestricted free agent until 2028. He's scheduled to make $17.3 million in 2026 with a club option for 2027 at $21 million, making him much more than a rental.
However, because New York has graduated many of its recent top prospects to the bigs — including Luis Gil, Austin Wells and Jasson Domínguez — their farm system is in the bottom third of the league, according to MLB Pipeline's preseason rankings. If the Yankees are looking to make a move, two pitching prospects they selected in the 2024 draft could make a deal possible.
Ben Hess and Bryce Cunningham, the club's first two selections, have already cracked into New York's top five prospects. Both have had good starts to their professional careers at the High A level.
Through his first two starts, Hess has racked up an 18:3 strikeout to walk ratio, giving up just five hits and zero runs. While not as sparkling, Cunningham has 22 strikeouts in 18 innings.
What a pro debut from @Yankees top pitching prospect Ben Hess with the @HVRenegades!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 9, 2025
4 2/3 IP
2 H
0 R
1 BB
9 K pic.twitter.com/OSL3K0J2vT
Strong starts by the two former SEC pitchers have given the Yankees more ammunition to bolster the major league club this summer than they might have initially thought coming into the year.
Teaming up Alcántara with marquee free agent signing Max Fried, who has been as good as advertised, and Carlos Rodón could create a strong frontline come playoff time.
Even if it means giving up some talented young pitching prospects, landing Alcántara gives the Yankees the potential starting pitching necessary to go along with their dynamic offense to make it back to the Fall Classic.