Yankees Make Stunning Move to Replace Injured Gerrit Cole for the Rest of the Season.
Yankees Replace Injured Gerrit Cole. New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is facing a tough road ahead after suffering an elbow injury that will require Tommy John surgery. That means his entire 2025 season is already over before it even begins, and there’s a chance he could miss part of 2026 as well. To make matters worse, Luis Gil is also sidelined for several weeks, leaving the Yankees in a tricky spot when it comes to their starting rotation.
With a glaring need for pitching depth, plenty of rumors have been swirling about potential moves—whether through free agency or a trade. But here’s where things take an unexpected turn: Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer recently predicted that the Yankees might not make any additions at all. That’s right—despite losing their ace, they could decide to roll with what they have. Yankees Replace Injured Gerrit Cole.
“With Gerrit Cole (Tommy John surgery) out for the year and Luis Gil (lat strain) gone for as long as three months, the Yankees need starting depth,” Rymer wrote. “Bold Prediction: The Cubs sign Lynn and the Yankees let it ride with incumbents.” Yankees Replace Injured Gerrit Cole.
If that prediction holds true, New York would be leaning heavily on Max Fried to carry the rotation. Fried has been consistently dominant, posting an ERA below 3.30 in each of the last five seasons. But beyond him, things get murky. Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman all have question marks surrounding them, and the likely fifth starter would be top prospect Will Warren.
Choosing not to add an experienced arm would be a bold—some might say risky—move. If the Yankees really do stick with their current rotation, this season could be a wild ride, full of ups and downs. Buckle up, Yankees fans—it’s going to be interesting. Yankees Replace Injured Gerrit Cole. Yankees Replace Injured Gerrit Cole.
Let’s be real—losing Gerrit Cole for the 2025 season is a brutal blow to the Yankees’ World Series hopes. There’s just no way around it. Tommy John surgery means he’s out for the year, maybe even part of 2026, and that leaves a massive hole in the rotation. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Giancarlo Stanton is also dealing with an injury, and no matter how long he’s out, it’s going to sting.
That said, the Yankees aren’t suddenly going to fall apart. They’re still going to be a strong team, and Stanton’s absence could actually give them some flexibility with the DH spot—rotating different guys in and out to keep everyone fresh. They could still win the AL East. Heck, they could still win the World Series! But let’s not kid ourselves—without Cole anchoring the rotation, things just got a lot harder. There’s no instant fix, and asking every other pitcher to step up just exposes the team’s lack of depth. Yankees Replace Injured Gerrit Cole.
Naturally, fans are already dreaming up blockbuster trades to bring in a replacement ace—names like Sandy Alcántara, Michael King, or Dylan Cease keep coming up. But let’s be honest: that’s not happening, at least not right now. The timing isn’t great, and the Padres have already made it clear they’re not moving their pitchers. So if the Yankees are going to make a move, it’ll probably have to wait until the trade deadline, where the price will be sky-high and rival teams will know exactly how desperate they are.
Could they just sign a free-agent veteran like Kyle Gibson or Lance Lynn? Sure. But would either of them really be a better option than non-roster invitee Carlos Carrasco? That’s debatable. Instead of swinging for an ace or taking a flier on an aging arm, the Yankees could really use a steady mid-rotation guy—someone more reliable than Luis Gil or Carlos Rodón but not necessarily a frontline star.
One name that makes sense? Erick Fedde from the Cardinals. He put up a solid 5.6 bWAR season last year between the White Sox and Cardinals after returning from a stint overseas. He’s in the final year of a two-year deal, making $7.5 million. A trade for him wouldn’t completely solve the Yankees’ pitching woes, but it would certainly help. And if they could package in an extra bat for the bench, even better.
A realistic deal could look something like this:
Cardinals Receive:
- No. 12 prospect Cam Schlittler (RHP)
- No. 18 prospect Gage Ziehl (RHP)
- OF Trent Grisham (making $5 million this season)
Yankees Receive:
- RHP Erick Fedde
- 1B/DH Luken Baker
For St. Louis, this move would add some much-needed pitching depth while also giving them an outfield upgrade in Grisham—especially with Michael Siani struggling at the plate (just 1-for-25 so far). The Cardinals have plenty of versatile players, but they’ve been searching for more power in their lineup. Yankees Replace Injured Gerrit Cole.
Meanwhile, Baker is a 28-year-old power hitter who hasn’t quite put it together at the MLB level yet (.175 in 40 at-bats last season), but he’s been raking this spring. He’s not exactly a Stanton replacement, but he’d give the Yankees another option at DH and a backup first baseman if Ben Rice takes over as the primary starter.
Would this move single-handedly replace Cole’s dominance? Of course not. But adding a dependable starter and a potential bench bat would at least stabilize things while the Yankees try to weather the storm.
