The New York Yankees have an Opening Day roster taking shape, but it might not be long before it sees some dramatic change.
The presumptive roster has already undergone some major transformations this spring. After losing Juan Soto to the New York Mets, the Yankees added Cody Bellinger, Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt and Devin Williams to the team.
And while all of those newcomers are set for Opening Day, the Yankees will be without some other key players. Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu and Luis Gil will be missing significant time with persistent injuries, while Gerrit Cole has been ruled out for the entire season.
Following the injury to Cole, the Yankees could be on the lookout for a significant addition to the rotation. And while pickings are slim at this point in the calendar, some options might open up closer to the midseason trade deadline.
A recent report from Pat Ragazzo of On SI linked the Yankees to San Diego Padres ace Dylan Cease as one blockbuster trade option.
“We’re just 12 days from Opening Day, but there is still some trade buzz surrounding Dylan Cease’s name given injuries to top aces such as Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees,” Ragazzo wrote. “Among the teams the Padres have been scouting due to Cease interest include: the Mets, Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs and a team that has yet to be revealed in the Philadelphia Phillies, per league sources.”
With the Padres scouting the Yankees among that handful of potential suitors, the groundwork could be laid for a trade to replace Cole. And Cease is no stranger to the trade block, as he was dealt from the Chicago White Sox to the Padres in the early going last year.
Given that experience, Cease offered three choice words to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman when asked about mounting trade rumors:
“Anything can happen,” he said.
Acquiring Cease would likely cost the Yankees a significant prospect package, perhaps even top name Jasson Domínguez. But depending on how their addled rotation fairs in the beginning of the 2025 campaign, it might be a price the team is willing to pay.
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