Yankees’ Rotation in Trouble: Injuries Force Front Office Into a Defining Offseason
The New York Yankees are heading into 2026 with a rotation problem that’s not just inconvenient - it’s potentially season-altering. Carlos Rodón, Gerrit Cole, and Clarke Schmidt are all set to open the season on the injured list.
And this isn’t a short-term issue. At least one of those absences stretches well beyond April.
For a team built to contend right now, that’s not just a bump in the road. That’s a detour they can’t afford.
This isn’t about patching things up with a few spot starts or leaning on depth until the cavalry returns. This is about survival.
The Yankees can’t afford to stumble out of the gate and fall into a hole so deep that even a healthy rotation later in the year can’t dig them out. Starting pitching was already a priority heading into the offseason - now it’s a full-blown necessity.
Why Waiting Isn’t an Option
The Yankees have lived this before. Just last season, they shuffled through call-ups, bullpen games, and short outings, hoping their offense could carry the weight.
Sometimes it worked. A lot of times, it didn’t.
Now, with Rodón recovering, Cole’s long-term health a question mark, and Schmidt sidelined to start the year, there’s no stabilizing force behind Max Fried. And that matters.
Look at the teams that play deep into October - they almost always rank in the top tier of the league in innings pitched by their starters. Right now, the Yankees don’t have that kind of rotation foundation.
Bringing back Ryan Yarbrough was a sensible move - he’s a steady innings-eater who can keep things from spiraling. But he’s not a game-changer.
He’s a floor-raiser, not a ceiling-lifter. The front office knows that.
Yarbrough helps prevent panic innings, but he doesn’t shift the balance in the AL East.
The Free Agent Market: Tempting, But Tricky
On paper, the free agent market has some appealing names. Framber Valdez, Tatsuya Imai, Michael King, Ranger Suárez, Zac Gallen - all bring something different to the table, from upside to reliability. But the Yankees haven’t been strongly linked to most of them, outside of Imai and King.
Why? Cost is a factor.
So is long-term risk. This front office has been burned before by handing out big-money deals to pitchers in their late twenties or early thirties.
They’re not eager to repeat that mistake unless the fit is perfect - and that’s a high bar.
That’s why recent reporting from YES Network’s Jack Curry is worth noting. According to Curry, if the Yankees add a starter, it’s more likely to come via trade than free agency. That lines up with how this front office has operated when the stakes are high and the options are limited.
The Trade Market: Where Things Get Real
A trade opens doors that free agency can’t. The dream scenario?
Tarik Skubal. He’s the kind of ace who could instantly reshape the Yankees’ rotation and give them a legitimate weapon in October.
But landing Skubal would mean outbidding other teams with deep farm systems - and that’s no small task.
If Skubal is out of reach, there are still impact arms who could change the equation. Freddy Peralta brings swing-and-miss stuff and durability.
Sandy Alcantara, if healthy, has Cy Young-level upside and a proven October resume. Edward Cabrera has electric raw stuff that fits right into the Yankees’ pitching development mold.
And Mackenzie Gore? He’s young, controllable, and still has room to grow - the kind of upside play that could pay off big.
None of those options come cheap. But doing nothing carries its own kind of risk - one the Yankees can’t afford to ignore.
The question isn’t whether to take a risk. It’s whether they want to choose the risk themselves or let it choose them.
A Defining Moment for the Yankees’ Front Office
This offseason isn’t just about plugging holes. It’s about defining how the Yankees view their championship window.
The injuries to Rodón, Cole, and Schmidt took patience off the table. The front office can either pay the price to land a difference-maker or brace for early-season losses that could haunt them all year.
The Yankees don’t need a full rotation overhaul. They need one - maybe two - arms who can change the tone from day one.
The kind of pitchers who don’t just hold the line, but push the team forward. The front office knows that.
Now it’s about whether they’re willing to act on it.
Because make no mistake - this isn’t just another offseason. This is a crossroads. And how the Yankees respond could define not just their 2026 campaign, but the trajectory of this core moving forward.