The New York Yankees have to be preparing for the worst regarding ace pitcher Gerrit Cole.
After dealing with elbow discomfort during his most recent spring training start, Cole underwent an MRI on his pitching elbow. On Sunday night, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reported that Cole had received a recommendation to get Tommy John surgery, though the righty is seeking a second opinion.
Tommy John would put Cole out for the entire 2025 season, but even if he somehow avoids that fate, the Yankees have to anticipate an extended absence. Meanwhile, last season’s Rookie of the Year, Luis Gil, is also out indefinitely with a lat strain.
Amid all that uncertainty, the Yankees could certainly look to trade for a veteran starter to shore up their rotation. Enter the St. Louis Cardinals’ Erick Fedde, who is entering the final year of a very affordable $15 million contract.
In a Monday mailbag column, Yankees insider Chris Kirschner of The Athletic proposed a theoretical deal that would bring Fedde to New York for two unspecified players–a top-10 prospect and either a reliever or another top-20 prospect.
“If they wanted to keep their top prospects in-house, perhaps the Yankees could call the St. Louis Cardinals and see what it would take to land right-hander Erick Fedde. The Cardinals want to clear salary and go younger,” Kirschner wrote.
“Fedde is set to make $7.5 million this season and is coming off a season in which he had a 3.30 ERA to go along with encouraging metrics on his arsenal that the Yankees’ pitching coaches could maximize even further.”
Fedde, 32, racked up 5.6 rWAR last season, proving whatever adjustments he made during his 2023 trip to the Korean Baseball Organization paid off. Now, he finds himself on a Cardinals team that appears to be shying away from playoff contention in 2025.
The Yankees could almost certainly create a trade package worthy of convincing St. Louis to move off Fedde. The only question is whether or not they feel the urgency enough to part with any prospects when the organization will soon need an influx of young talent.
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