The New York Yankees’ starting rotation is not what many expected coming into the season. They lost Gerrit Cole in spring training and Luis Gil has yet to pitch this season. Max Fried and Carlos Rodón have been great so far, and Ryan Yarbrough has stepped up for the team.
However, the Yankees could be looking for a better option than Clarke Schmidt or Will Warren this summer as they set their sights on another World Series berth. They should get Gil back, but another reliable starter would go a long way. Just Baseball’s Zach Lutz tabbed Zac Gallen as an option for the Yankees.
“The Yankees are also likely to make a move considering Gerrit Cole is out for the year,” wrote Lutz. “Max Fried leads the staff, Carlos Rodón has been a great No. 2 and Ryan Yarbrough has stepped up big, but adding Gallen would deepen their October rotation.”
Gallen is going to be a free agent after the season, and the Arizona Diamondbacks may not be willing to pay him after giving Corbin Burnes a $210 million deal last offseason. Gallen is projected to earn a six-year, $116 million deal on the open market.
He has not pitched like himself this year. He was an All-Star in 2023 and had a 3.65 ERA in 28 starts last season. However, this year he has a 5.14 ERA and has walked more batters than any pitcher in the National League.
The Diamondbacks are in fourth place in the National League West and six games back of the final wild card spot in the NL. If they fall out of the race between now and July 31, the trade deadline, they could be open to trading Gallen, and the Yankees could be on the phone trying to get him.
A rotation of Fried, Rodón, Gil, Gallen and Yarbrough could dominate for the Yankees in October as they look to make it back to the World Series for the second consecutive year.
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