The New York Yankees are 40-25 after defeating the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night. Led by Aaron Judge at the plate and Max Fried on the mound, the Yankees are well on their way back to the World Series. However, fans expect Aaron Boone’s team to dominate during the regular season. With the trade deadline looming, the Yankees have been tied to many other teams across the league, including the Arizona Diamondbacks.
While rumors have them attached to infielders, starting pitchers like Sandy Alcantara, Jacob deGrom, and Zac Gallen could be moved, and the Yankees are in the middle of those rumors.
65 games into the season, the Yankees’ rotation has been dominant, even without Gerrit Cole on the mound. Boone’s starters have shut the rest of the league down behind Fried and Carlos Rodon. Fried is in the middle of a historic season himself for New York in his first year in pinstripes. He is on the short list of Cy Young contenders in the American League. However, the back end of the Yankees’ rotation could use some attention.
New York has decisions to make around their roster, especially at first base and designated hitter. Giancarlo Stanton’s return to the Yankees could throw things into doubt. As one of the teams facing the most pressure to win the championship this season, New York has more motivation than almost any other team.
While the Yankees could be aggressive at the deadline, general manager Brian Cashman needs to approach the market carefully. One starter that New York should avoid trading for is Sandy Alcantara.
Why shouldn’t the Yankees trade for Alcantara?
Alcantara is an accomplished pitcher compared to his peers. The 29-year-old has started at least 28 games in his last three healthy seasons, throwing more than 200 innings in two of them. However, trading for the righty could leave the Yankees wishing they had gone a different way at the deadline. The biggest issue going against him is his surgery. Alcantara underwent Tommy John surgery late in the 2023 season, missing the entirety of 2024. Unfortunately, he has not been the same since coming back.
Alcantara’s resume and his current form are two different things. On one hand, he is a former Cy Young Award winner in the NL, capable of long, dominant starts. However, he is 3-7 this season with a 7.14 ERA after 13 starts. Those numbers simply are not good enough for a starter of his caliber. The Marlins could try to convince other teams that a change of scenery is all he needs. For a title contender, that is not a good enough reason to trade for him.
If he were to join the Yankees at the deadline, Alcantara would be under significantly less pressure. At best, he would be the third starter behind Fried and Rodon. If he stays in New York, he would shift to the fourth start upon Cole’s return. However, the media attention that the Yankees get is far greater than anything the Marlins are exposed to on a regular basis. Pitchers have gone to New York and crumbled under the pressure, and Alcantara could be the latest example of that happening to a former star.
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Who should the Yankees trade for at the deadline?
While Alcantara might not be the best fit on the Yankees, Cashman has plenty of other options to pursue. Gallen and deGrom top the list of pitchers that could be moved this summer. It would take some persuasion for the Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers to move their starters, but it is not unrealistic. deGrom’s name has already been thrown around in trade rumors, and Gallen has been dealing with the same scrutiny.
Both pitchers have their own pros and cons. deGrom is older than Gallen, but is having a better season. If he is healthy heading into the postseason, he gives Boone a third No. 1 option in a playoff series. Gallen, on the other hand, could be another long-term option if Cashman can convince him to sign an extension. If the Yankees traded for and kept him, their rotation is set for years to come.
The Diamondbacks and Rangers sit a few games under .500. However, the divisions they play in are difficult to make up ground in. Arizona is more than five games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rangers are the same distance away from the Houston Astros, but each team needs a hot streak to get back into the race.
The Yankees will do everything they can to win their first World Series since 2009. The league’s most historic franchise is starved for a title, especially after embarrassing themselves last season.
Bringing in another starter would put New York in the driver’s seat in the AL. However, they need to be careful when evaluating their options and make sure they bring in the best fit, not the best resume.
