The New York Yankees are potentially headed for dark days to begin the 2025 season. A few weeks ago, the Bronx Bombers had six, maybe seven, big league-caliber starting pitchers. But Luis Gil has gone down with a lat strain that’s expected to keep him on the sidelines into the summer. And now, Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole has gone down with a sore throwing elbow — and initial reports indicate it could be the worst-case scenario.
Cole and the team are still awaiting a second opinion after initial testing. But with that in mind, there’s a real chance the Yankees’ ace could miss significant time if the injury does indeed require surgery. At this point, it would make sense for the Yankees to explore potential trades for pitchers to replace Cole. And one of the best options on the market just happens to be a former Yankee, Sonny Gray of the St. Louis Cardinals.
This emergency Yankees-Cardinals trade could replace Gerrit Cole with a reliable righty
Gray spent a year and a half in the Bronx, in which he posted a 4.51 ERA. Since then, the righty has posted a 3.35 ERA and 19.7 WAR in 152 starts. He’s looked like a completely different pitcher than he was during his time in pinstripes.
This hypothetical trade package would send Gray back to the Yankees in exchange for two pitching prospects, Brock Selvidge and Cade Smith. The Cardinals would also send a decent chunk of cash to the Yankees to help pay off some of Gray’s contract.
Selvidge, 22, has been excellent in each season of his professional career. The lefty holds a 3.62 ERA in nearly 300 career innings across multiple levels of the Minor Leagues. He has a respectable four-pitch pitch arsenal with solid command that makes him projectable as a big-league starter down the road.
Smith, 22, has two excellent breaking balls that help him dominate Minor League hitters. The righty was dominant in his first pro season, as he struck out nearly 120 in under 100 innings. He projects as a mid-rotation pitcher as long as he can stay in and around the zone on a consistent basis.
This deal works for both sides. The Cardinals would be shedding some money off their payroll by trading Gray away. St. Louis would also free up a spot in the rotation for a prospect like Tink Hence to throw in the big leagues this season while adding two talented prospects in Selvidge and Smith.
The Yankees would be landing a reliable righty for a fraction of his contract cost. Instead of trading top prospects like Will Warren or Spencer Jones, they would get away with trading a few guys further down their prospect board.
