At some point during the 2025 Major League Baseball season, it seems inevitable that the New York Yankees will trade for a starting pitcher.
On Thursday, the Yankees will begin the season without three-fifths of the rotation they hoped to have entering spring training. Ace Gerrit Cole is done for the year, Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is out for at least a couple months, and Clarke Schmidt is just hoping to avoid a lengthy absence.
Though the Yankees could weather the storm at the start of the season with the remaining group they have, it will likely take reinforcements to climb back to the top of the American League East in 2025.
All of this could lead to a deal for a left-hander whose value is in a strange spot after his team acquired a fellow southpaw this winter.
Matthew Legros of Empire Sports Media discussed the possibility of the Yankees trading for Philadelphia Phillies lefty Ranger Suárez, a first-time All-Star in 2024 who is entering his final season of team control.
“Suarez will start the 2025 MLB season on the injured list as he nurses a back injury. While that may seem counterintuitive toward resolving the Yankees’ woes at the present, he isn’t expected to be shelved for long,” Legroswrote.
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“Upon returning to the mound, the seven-year veteran could elevate the Yankees’ rotation to eye level with elite units like the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. He’s due $8.8 million for the 2025 campaign before hitting unrestricted free agency in 2026.”
Suárez, 29, was on the way to a career year with a sub-two ERA for most of the first half of last season, but settled in with a 3.46 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 27 starts. Spotrac projects him for a five-year, $95 million extension, should the Yankees choose to keep him as a long-term fixture of the rotation.
The Yankees shouldn’t have to pay a typical All-Star king’s ransom for Suárez. Excluding the results of last season’s first half, he’s profiled as a number-three starter for most of his career. But he could be excellent in that role for New York.
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