Carlos Rodon’s surgery puts Yankees in possible search for starting pitchers

Yankees Rotation Faces Uncertainty Ahead of Next Season

The Yankees’ pitching rotation was anticipated to be a major asset for next season, but recent developments have left that in question.

As the World Series is just around the corner, the Yankees are already in need of at least one new player to ensure they have all five starters ready for the season.

Brian Cashman and Aaron Boone revealed last week that Carlos Rodon had surgery on his elbow to remove a loose body and a bone spur. This procedure will keep him out for about eight weeks, which raises concerns about his readiness for the regular season. Cashman is hopeful for a return by “April or early May at the latest.”

Meanwhile, Gerrit Cole won’t be ready for Opening Day as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery. Clark Schmidt is also out for an extended period after undergoing UCL surgery, likely remaining unavailable until later in the season.

Currently, the only healthy pitchers in the rotation are Max Fried, Cam Schrittler, Will Warren, and Lewis Gil. However, with all three returning from heavy workloads and Gil missing much of the past season due to a lat strain, it appears the Yankees may need to seek additional talent for their rotation this offseason.

“I don’t know what Rodon’s surgery means for us. We need to figure out how to utilize our remaining resources,” Cashman commented during last Thursday’s press conference. “Do we need to look outside for reinforcements? You can always use more pitching. The bright side is he’ll be back, so we need to make sure we have space when that happens.”

This suggests that the Yankees are not necessarily looking for an expensive replacement for Rodon, but their strategy is still evolving. If everything goes well, both Rodon and Cole could be back by May, but that’s far from guaranteed.

Heading into spring, the team is expected to have more upper-level pitching talent than they did the previous year. Warren anchored the rotation last season, starting an MLB-record 32 games, allowing others like Alan Winans to avoid making frequent spot starts. Left-handed swingman Ryan Yarbrough, who performed well in the early part of the season, also adds depth but spent time on the injured list.

Re-signing Yarbrough could be a smart move for the Yankees, given his versatility. Although Winans remains on the 40-man roster, he won’t be a minor league option next year, complicating the Yankees’ roster flexibility.

The team could also consider its pitching prospects to fill any gaps, hoping to replicate some of the success shown by players like Schrittler, who exceeded expectations.

One of their most promising prospects is Brendan Beck, a 27-year-old right-hander drafted in the second round out of Stanford in 2021. Despite setbacks due to injuries, including Tommy John surgery, he managed to post a 3.36 ERA while splitting time between Double-A and Triple-A last season.

Another young talent is Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, a 22-year-old right-hander who finished strong in Triple-A. He achieved a combined 2.42 ERA with 173 strikeouts over 145 innings last season.

Additionally, there’s Carlos LaGrange, a 22-year-old flamethrower who navigated both High-A and Double-A levels. He recorded a 3.53 ERA and 168 strikeouts across 120 innings. However, he’s still working on his command, which might lead him to a bullpen role for now.